autoevolution
 

Vlad Mitrache

5,348  ARTICLES

Contributor
editor photo
Having the memory of an elephant suffering from amnesia, I'm the exact opposite of an automotive encyclopedia. That's exactly why you can very often find me studying the spec sheets of cars or asking my colleagues who are very much more knowledgeable than me about facts and figures. On the bright side, though, that means I get to learn new things every day.


Contrary to most of the people here, I didn't get my driving license right after my 18th birthday, but it wasn't because I didn't want to. I won't get into details, but three years later I was the proud owner of that piece of plastic and a piece of trash car with which I quickly established a love and hate relationship. Mostly hate.

However, driving I loved, so that's what kept me going until my first decent car. By this time, I started thinking about mixing my degree in Journalism with my passion for driving, and so there I was working as an editor for a car magazine. A few good years later, nothing much has changed. But don't take my word for it, I tend to forget stuff. Now, if I could just remember where I parked my car...
1100HP Audi R8 V10 Plus Drag Races Stock McLaren 765LT and It's Brutal
1100HP Audi R8 V10 Plus Drag Races Stock McLaren 765LT and It's Brutal

22 Sep 2021, 17:44 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The McLaren 765LT is one of those cars that seem to defy logic, but things start to make a little more sense when you find out that number in its name doesn't really stand for the amount of power it makes, as the manufacturer would want you to...

 
Ten Electric SUVs (No Tesla, Though) Line Up So You'll Know Which Is Best
Ten Electric SUVs (No Tesla, Though) Line Up So You'll Know Which Is Best

22 Sep 2021, 15:22 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The very fact we have ten battery-powered SUVs to choose from – and they're not the only ones, they just meet the imposed criteria of having a starting price below 45,000 British pounds (about $61,000) – is remarkable in itself. ...

 
Mercedes-Benz EQS U.S. Pricing Suggests EV-ICE Parity May Already Be Here
Mercedes-Benz EQS U.S. Pricing Suggests EV-ICE Parity May Already Be Here

21 Sep 2021, 18:33 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The two main reasons behind the relatively low EV adoption have always been their limited range (and the range anxiety that came with it) and the much higher price they commanded over their ICE-powered counterparts. Well, the range problem seems...

 
Tesla Model 3 Monster Race Car Won't Do Donuts Even With Drift Champion at the Wheel
Tesla Model 3 Monster Race Car Won't Do Donuts Even With Drift Champion at the Wheel

21 Sep 2021, 17:21 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / With the Tesla Model S Plaid stealing all the headlines lately thanks to its Nürburgring shenanigans, it's easy to forget that, save for the massively inferior power output, the Model 3 Performance actually makes for a much better track c...

 
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Electric Crossover Gets IIHS's Top Safety Pick+ Rating
2021 Volkswagen ID.4 Electric Crossover Gets IIHS's Top Safety Pick+ Rating

21 Sep 2021, 15:20 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The Volkswagen ID.4 could play an important role as far as the German brand's future on the North American market is concerned, and even if the company will undoubtedly improve its models constantly, making a good first impression is important...

 
Slammed 2021 Ford F-150 Platinum Benefits From Every Inch of Its 24" Vossen Wheels
Slammed 2021 Ford F-150 Platinum Benefits From Every Inch of Its 24" Vossen Wheels

21 Sep 2021, 14:11 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / It feels like the Ford F-150 is the Coca-Cola of the American automotive industry. It's been selling like crazy for more years than we can remember and making that top spot its own without any model looking likely to snatch it away any time so...

 
Hyundai i20N Drag Races Ford Fiesta ST and VW Polo GTI, Results Are All Over the Place
Hyundai i20N Drag Races Ford Fiesta ST and VW Polo GTI, Results Are All Over the Place

21 Sep 2021, 12:03 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Watching 1,000 hp supercars racing each other can be fun, but sometimes it's nice to get back down to Earth and see slightly more affordable cars battling it out for top acceleration bragging rights. We say "slightly more affordable&qu...

 
Tesla FSD Tester Naively Admits Company Doesn't Want Unfavorable Footage Posted
Tesla FSD Tester Naively Admits Company Doesn't Want Unfavorable Footage Posted

20 Sep 2021, 21:04 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / It's been a little over a week since Tesla released the V10 of its highly touted Full Self-Driving Beta (FSD Beta) suite to a selected number of Tesla owners, and since some of them also run YouTube channels, that means anyone with even the sl...

 
Future Tesla Model X Rendered With and Without the Cybertruck Treatment
Future Tesla Model X Rendered With and Without the Cybertruck Treatment

20 Sep 2021, 19:08 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The Tesla Model X has been around for nearly six years, and even though that's nothing compared to its sibling, the Model S, which is nearing its tenth anniversary, it still means a slight refresh is long overdue. The interior has benefitte...

 
Honda NSX Senna MP4/4 Rendering Is a Worthy Tribute to a Legendary Man-Machine Couple
Honda NSX Senna MP4/4 Rendering Is a Worthy Tribute to a Legendary Man-Machine Couple

20 Sep 2021, 18:59 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The Acura/Honda NSX is currently making the headlines thanks to the limited Type-S edition - essentially a GT3 racing car for the roads that packs a total output of 600 hp and needs less than three seconds for the 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) sprint. We...

 
2020 Honda Accord 2.0T Drag Races 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T, Loser Takes Defeat Lightly
2020 Honda Accord 2.0T Drag Races 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T, Loser Takes Defeat Lightly

20 Sep 2021, 14:19 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / People used to look at the Tesla Model S and say, "what business does a sedan have at the drag strip?", but then the EV proved everyone that, based on performance, it was more entitled to be there than a lot of sports cars. But the Mo...

 
2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Vs Navigator & Escalade - Best High-Riding U.S. Luxury
2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Vs Navigator & Escalade - Best High-Riding U.S. Luxury

20 Sep 2021, 14:06 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The perceived destination for any of these three SUVs - particularly the Cadillac and the Lincoln since the Jeep hasn't been around during the more modern times – can change very rapidly based on the color of the paint job. Any other col...

 
Porsche Mission R CGI Short Clip Suggests the Germans Are About to Fight Back
Porsche Mission R CGI Short Clip Suggests the Germans Are About to Fight Back

19 Sep 2021, 08:46 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / After using its involvement in the "24 Hours of Le Mans" endurance race series to promote its hybrid technology, Porsche is now once again tapping into the world of motorsport to boost its credentials in the EV market. Some might point...

 
Mazda Miata Shooting Brake Looks Like a Modern Bread Van in Crisp Rendering
Mazda Miata Shooting Brake Looks Like a Modern Bread Van in Crisp Rendering

18 Sep 2021, 16:36 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The Mazda MX-5 Miata is one of those cars you definitely need to drive to understand what all the commotion around it is about because, on paper, it's pretty underwhelming, to say the least. The most potent Miata only makes 181 horsepower. ...

 
550-HP Toyota Supra A90 Humiliates C8 Corvette in Roll Race, Shelby GT500 Humbles It
550-HP Toyota Supra A90 Humiliates C8 Corvette in Roll Race, Shelby GT500 Humbles It

18 Sep 2021, 08:37 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Whether it's the BMW collab, the somewhat underwhelming performance, or the simple fact it's not a Mark4 Supra, the latest sports car from Toyota to wear that name just hasn't been the hit most people would have hoped. It's w...

 
2022 Nissan Frontier vs GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Ranger - Best Mid-Size Truck?
2022 Nissan Frontier vs GMC Canyon, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford Ranger - Best Mid-Size Truck?

18 Sep 2021, 06:53 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The 2022 Nissan Frontier is out and, there's no other way to put it, it's a massive improvement over the old model. However, considering it had quite a gap to make up for in the first, is that enough to make it the best mid-size pickup tr...

 
1,000 HP Volkswagen Golf R32 Runs Very Low Tens, Keeps the Nitro in Reserve
1,000 HP Volkswagen Golf R32 Runs Very Low Tens, Keeps the Nitro in Reserve

17 Sep 2021, 16:11 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / It's hard for everyone else to understand why some people set their hearts on one particular car and decide to invest way more than they should in it, but that's just the irrational way in which a passionate motorhead's mind works. ...

 
Volkswagen Golf GTI Rendering Shows Retro-Futuristic Muscle Car Vibes
Volkswagen Golf GTI Rendering Shows Retro-Futuristic Muscle Car Vibes

17 Sep 2021, 14:31 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The Volkswagen Golf GTI has been the poster boy for hot hatches for how many years now? Correct us if we're wrong, but we do believe it's right about 45. And counting. The GTI hasn't been the best hot hatch throughout all of these...

 
Consumer Reports Testers Say the Tesla Yoke Causes More Problems Than Offer Benefits
Consumer Reports Testers Say the Tesla Yoke Causes More Problems Than Offer Benefits

17 Sep 2021, 12:37 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / "Why does Tesla insist with the yoke?" is a very good question. So far, the company's answer, if you can talk about "answers" from a company that doesn't really talk to anyone other than through the voice of its CEO, i...

 
BMW X8 Rendered Based on Latest Spy Shots Looks Right and Wrong at the Same Time
BMW X8 Rendered Based on Latest Spy Shots Looks Right and Wrong at the Same Time

17 Sep 2021, 11:38 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / There are two types of renderings: those that try to make a beautiful car, and those that try to predict a future model as accurately as possible. When the upcoming model happens to have a nice exterior design, the two can naturally overlap. Tha...

 

Stories by Vlad Mitrache