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Sebastian Toma

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Personal motto:

"Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

Senior Contributor
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Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. He cannot put a finger on what started it all, but it was there, and it grew day by day. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver).

It all started with him pointing at cars on the street and asking what make and model they were. Sebastian couldn't wait to be tall enough to see over their steering wheel and be allowed to drive them.

When was ready to hit the road, Sebastian was left without a potential first car after his family's '72 Mercedes-Benz was rolled by his father. While the early '70s sedan proved unexpectedly safe, Sebastian was left without a ride, so he took various jobs and saved up for an E30 BMW 3 Series. Months later, he got his dream job – writing about cars for a local website while he was getting a bachelor's degree in Journalism.

Fourteen years had passed since Sebastian started writing about cars and motorcycles, and his job took him behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles, as well as through some of the most important local publications.

Just before returning to autoevolution, he was the editor-in-chief of the country's most-read car magazine and its website. Sebastian took on the challenge and started writing for us again, so sit back and enjoy the read!
Volkswagen's Internal Investigation Has Acquired 50 Witnesses
Volkswagen's Internal Investigation Has Acquired 50 Witnesses

8 Dec 2015, 09:49 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volkswagen's internal investigation has finished gathering witnesses for its own probe regarding the Dieselgate scandal. Until the deadline, around 50 Volkswagen employees came forward to testify about their involvement in the Dieselgate sc...

 
Tesla Powerwall Debuts with Vermont's Biggest Utility Provider, Deliveries Start in 2016
Tesla Powerwall Debuts with Vermont's Biggest Utility Provider, Deliveries Start in 2016

7 Dec 2015, 17:28 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The Tesla Powerwall will soon be available to the customers of Vermont's Green Mountain Power. We're talking about the first U.S. utility company to offer the home battery storage system developed by Tesla. Vermont's largest util...

 
BMW Boss Predicts EV Future Amid VW Emissions Scandal
BMW Boss Predicts EV Future Amid VW Emissions Scandal

7 Dec 2015, 15:42 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Diesel-engined cars will become a thing of the past once emission regulations are modified, BMW's CEO predicts. In an interview with Handelsblatt, Harald Kruger voiced his prognosis regarding the future of mobility. Thus, BMW's CEO exp...

 
2019 Land Rover Defender Confirmed, Coming with Five Body Styles
2019 Land Rover Defender Confirmed, Coming with Five Body Styles

7 Dec 2015, 14:24 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The iconic Land Rover Defender is getting ready for the end of its production, but a groundbreaking follow-up is coming. The British off-roading legend will get a new generation in 2018 that will feature five body styles, Automotive News has learne...

 
Aston Martin Commits to V12 Engines in the Long Run
Aston Martin Commits to V12 Engines in the Long Run

7 Dec 2015, 13:18 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / British low-volume manufacturer Aston Martin intends to hang on to its legendary V12 powerplants for as long as possible. It intends to use its future electric models to balance out the CO2 emissions of its V12-engined cars. Two electric models hav...

 
Tesla's Elon Musk Asks World Leaders for a Carbon Tax, Requests It in Front of Sorbonne Students
Tesla's Elon Musk Asks World Leaders for a Carbon Tax, Requests It in Front of Sorbonne Students

7 Dec 2015, 10:52 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Tesla Motors' CEO and entrepreneur extraordinaire Elon Musk claims that a carbon tax is the only quick solution for a transition to sustainable transport. The business magnate held a speech during a conference that took place recently at th...

 
Bentley Decides to Skip All U.S. Auto Shows in 2016
Bentley Decides to Skip All U.S. Auto Shows in 2016

7 Dec 2015, 09:25 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The British luxury manufacturer from Crewe decided to skip all automotive events scheduled for 2016 in the U.S. The brand's decision is based on a desire to improve its dealer relationships, Crewe's finest having 45 dealers in the United ...

 
Audi's Tech Development Chief and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Ulrich Hackenberg, Steps Down
Audi's Tech Development Chief and Chairman of Supervisory Board, Ulrich Hackenberg, Steps Down

4 Dec 2015, 17:05 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Audi's technical boss and Chairman of Supervisory Board has retired in the wake of the Dieselgate scandal, most likely prompted by pressure from VW Group shareholders. The engineer had joined Audi in 1985, and over the years had a significa...

 
2016 Volvo S90 Could Get a Three-Cylinder Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Version
2016 Volvo S90 Could Get a Three-Cylinder Gasoline-Electric Hybrid Version

4 Dec 2015, 16:35 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volvo's all-new S90 is expected to be offered in a less powerful hybrid version, with both the electric motor and the internal combustion engine having a much lower output. The Swedes are developing a 1.5-liter gasoline engine for a future ...

 
Moldavian Man Sells His '85 Volkswagen Scirocco Through Raffle
Moldavian Man Sells His '85 Volkswagen Scirocco Through Raffle

4 Dec 2015, 15:35 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / An enterprising young man from Moldova managed to sell his 1985 Mk2 Volkswagen Scirocco for €5,000 through a raffle, so the winning buyer only paid €10 to enter the competition. Selling a stanced and home-restored Mk2 Volkswagen Sciroc...

 
BMW 3 Series Facelift Gets Tested by IIHS, Doesn't Get Top Safety Pick Rating
BMW 3 Series Facelift Gets Tested by IIHS, Doesn't Get Top Safety Pick Rating

4 Dec 2015, 14:35 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / BMW's 2016 3 Series LCI was recently tested by the IIHS but failed to obtain a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety was unable to grant the German sedan one of its desired Top Safety Pick o...

 
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Sets World Speed Record, Achieving 94 MPH
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Sets World Speed Record, Achieving 94 MPH

4 Dec 2015, 10:44 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The South Korean carmaker has just established a World Speed Record for a mass-produced fuel cell vehicle: the Tucson Fuel Cell managed to achieve 94 mph (152 km/h). We're talking about a record set in a specific category of vehicles here: ...

 
McLaren 675 LT Spider Officially Unveiled, Production Limited to 500 Units
McLaren 675 LT Spider Officially Unveiled, Production Limited to 500 Units

4 Dec 2015, 09:01 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / McLaren Automotive has officially unveiled the new 675 LT Spider just a few hours after the model had leaked in a short promotional video on YouTube. Woking's newest convertible is described by its makers as "the most focused, fastest ...

 
Volvo Pondering to Create Bespoke Division
Volvo Pondering to Create Bespoke Division

3 Dec 2015, 18:37 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volvo has confirmed its interest in opening a bespoke service for its customers. The new division of the Swedish carmaker could open the door to a world of customized cars with factory warranty, something not unlike similar programs from more luxur...

 
Tesla Sales Still Prohibited by Michigan Law, Company Starts Lobby Action
Tesla Sales Still Prohibited by Michigan Law, Company Starts Lobby Action

3 Dec 2015, 15:46 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Tesla Motors is still struggling to overcome legislative issues in some US states that don't support its business model. Tesla has a unique approach to its sales strategy, and the California-based company has encountered issues with local ...

 
2016 Volvo S90's Full Specifications Revealed
2016 Volvo S90's Full Specifications Revealed

3 Dec 2015, 14:24 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The 2016 Volvo S90, the Swedish brand's new flagship sedan, is scheduled for a public debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Initially, the Swedish brand planned to keep the specs of its new S90 for itself until January 2016, but it has since...

 
Toyota S-FR Racing Concept Previews Potential Race Car, Makes Us Dream
Toyota S-FR Racing Concept Previews Potential Race Car, Makes Us Dream

3 Dec 2015, 12:30 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The Toyota S-FR Concept previewed a potential little brother for the GT86 Coupe. Although the little RWD coupe hasn't received confirmation for production, Toyota's designers keep developing various versions of this show car. The latest v...

 
Carlex Fits a Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG with Hippopotamus Nubuck Leather
Carlex Fits a Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG with Hippopotamus Nubuck Leather

3 Dec 2015, 10:54 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / The Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG is a pretty rare car, but somebody wanted to make his unique. The eccentric owner contacted the guys at Carlex Design Europe, who fitted a custom leather interior to the already rare performance minivan/crossover from Merc...

 
BMW Leads Premium Segment in the US, Mercedes-Benz Plays Catch-Up
BMW Leads Premium Segment in the US, Mercedes-Benz Plays Catch-Up

3 Dec 2015, 10:06 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / BMW remains the premium segment's sales leader in 2015 both in the USA and at a global scale, but Mercedes-Benz's American division is closing in on year-to-date results for the first 11 months of this year. The BMW brand's sales ...

 
Volvo Showcases All-New S90 in a Bid to End the German Rule in Full-Size Segment
Volvo Showcases All-New S90 in a Bid to End the German Rule in Full-Size Segment

2 Dec 2015, 17:42 UTC · By: Sebastian Toma / Volvo just released the first batch of official pictures of the all-new S90. The car will be unveiled to the public eye at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show in January. The 2016 Volvo S90 is the brand's new entry in the premium large sedan segment...

 

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