Vlad Mitrache
5,348 ARTICLES
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...
Russian Road Rage Incidents Never Get Old, Especially when They're This Funny
2 Sep 2015, 11:15 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / As a general rule of thumb, it's better to avoid road-rage incidents because they can never end well. Expanding on this rule, it's wise to avoid any kind of incidents, on the road or otherwise, involving violence. Avoiding an inciden...
Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake Spied Once Again, Coming Early 2016
2 Sep 2015, 09:08 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Mercedes-Benz's compact range is in the midst of a mid-life refreshing programme, with the A-Class opening the ball earlier this year. These new spyshots we've just received show the next in line is the CLA Shooting Brake which is set ...
2016 Mercedes-Benz S500 and S63 Cabriolet Have Us Rooting for Spring
2 Sep 2015, 08:35 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / 2015 has continued Mercedes-Benz's recently launched onslaught of new models and they appear to end the year with style by releasing the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet. It's been 44 years since Mercedes-Benz last offered a luxury ...
Pininfarina Designed Bicycle Could Prove a Very Wise Investment Even if You Don't Ride It
1 Sep 2015, 15:45 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Things are far from rosy at Pininfarina, as you probably already know, with the Italian brand registering a 4.4 million euros (nearly 5 million dollars) loss in the first half of this year. That brings the total debt to a staggeringly high 52.7 mil...
TOPCAR Goes Light on the 2015 Porsche Cayenne with Great Effect
1 Sep 2015, 14:52 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The relationship between Russian tuners TOPCAR and Porsche models goes a long way back, being one of the most featured brands among TOPCAR's creations. The Porsche Cayenne, on the other hand, is the kind of car you can truly understand onl...
Brabus Makes the 2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Even More Interesting with 600HP, Heads to IAAS
1 Sep 2015, 14:13 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / This is what Brabus must call "mild tuning". If you're used to their 850 hp plus cars, this minor 90 hp bump in Mercedes-AMG C63 S's power will look like small potatoes. The German outfit is by far the best tuner of Mercede...
New Lamborghini's Name Revealed And It's not HyperVeloce, Coming at 2016 Geneva Show
1 Sep 2015, 13:14 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / There is an entire list of badly named models across the 100 years plus of car history, but among the most recent ones is one of Lamborghini's most fierce rivals: Ferrari. Or should we say, "The Ferrari"? Lamborghini is now prepa...
TVR Has Sold Out Its First Year of Production in Just Six Weeks, Debuts in 2017
1 Sep 2015, 12:29 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The fate of TVR's planned relaunch is looking better, and that can only mean good news for every car enthusiast in the world. How do you know you have a solid fanbase? When you sell out an entire year's worth of production in just six ...
Peugeot Fractal Concept Gets Official Presentation and It's Even Better than We Thought
1 Sep 2015, 11:50 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Peugeot fired three shots in quick succession with the Fractal: first there were the teasers, then a large part of the photos got leaked and finally, the French had nothing more to lose and made the full official unveiling. It's been a long...
Mercedes-Benz CLS Covered in Swarovski Crystals Spotted Again, Is Still the Worst Idea Ever
1 Sep 2015, 11:38 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Tuning is a pretty regulation-free industry, but even in environments such as these, some rules inevitably surface and become the norm. This Mercedes-Benz CLS spotted on the streets of London broke every one of them with just one move. You can f...
The Study We All Dreaded Is Here: Speed Cameras Can Reduce the Number of Accidents
1 Sep 2015, 09:43 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / If there is one driving regulation we constantly break without actually feeling remorse, it has to be the maximum speed limit. We know we can drive faster without jeopardizing anybody, and so we do it. The thing is, statistics regarding on-road...
Audi R8 V10 Plus Gets a 950 HP Makeover Complete With Carbon Fiber Body
1 Sep 2015, 08:27 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / This is a heavily modified Audi R8 V10 Plus, but you just know something's off with the tuning job when they feel the need to include a lightly dressed female in the photo shoot. On this occasion, though, that rule doesn't apply. This ...
Ferrari 458 Spider Crashes into a House then a Tree in a South African Residential Complex
31 Aug 2015, 16:40 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / This has got to be every man's worst nightmare: you've just purchased the car of your dreams and you're very excited about it. You're trying hard not to drive it faster than you should, but you're constantly failing. The...
Peugeot Fractal Concept Leaked Hours after First Teasers, Is a Four-Seater Cabrio
31 Aug 2015, 15:49 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / We've just finished telling you about the Peugeot Fractal Concept teaser and making up all sorts of assumptions, when these images leaked and spread over the internet like wildfire. So, this is the Peugeot Fractal in all its glory. Oh boy, ...
London's Burning. Burning Petrol and Turning It into Loud Sounds, That Is
31 Aug 2015, 15:13 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / For a few years now, London has become the ground of choice for the rich to display their new expensive cars. That wouldn't be so bad if their understanding of "displaying" didn't involve revving the engines and causing all sort...
Ford GT Racecar Sounds Like It Means Some Serious Business Testing on Sebring
31 Aug 2015, 14:10 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / How Ford managed to keep the new GT a secret for so long still baffles us, but since it came out of hiding at the 2015 NAIAS, the American hypercar has gotten everybody's full attention. Ours included. In fact, the Ford GT had only seen abo...
Peugeot Fractal Is a Very Promising Futuristic Concept that Leaves Us Guessing
31 Aug 2015, 12:51 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / Before getting too excited about the Peugeot Fractal, it's worth remembering there are two types of concept cars: those the carmakers try to persuade us will have some remote influence on future models, and those that really matter. Hopeful...
Paris to Shut Down Traffic for a Whole Day on 27 September, Pack Your Bike Accordingly
31 Aug 2015, 11:50 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The French capital is currently facing a pollution crisis. While it may not have reached the same level as in China's main city, Paris is trying to nip the problem in the bud. You've probably already heard about the French-led war aga...
Alfa Romeo Is Entering the Most Important Four Years in Its History, All Planned Models Listed
31 Aug 2015, 10:06 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / The last completely new series model launched by Alfa Romeo was the 4C Spider and Coupe all the way in 2013, and we all know how that went for the Italian company. Not very well, that's how. The whole FCA is currently undergoing changes me...
Volvo S90 Gets Leaked as a Scale Model, the Design Appears to Be the Real Deal
31 Aug 2015, 09:14 UTC · By: Vlad Mitrache / While most carmakers struggle to keep their designs secret until the very last moment, or plan a staged 'leak' when they feel it would be to their advantage, Volvo's upcoming model gets an unscheduled preview thanks to a scale model....