autoevolution
 

Vlad Radu

1,141  ARTICLES

Personal motto:

“From success, you learn absolutely nothing. From failure and setbacks conclusions can be drawn. That goes for your private life as well as your career.” - Nikki Lauda

Contributor
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At age five Vlad built a car cockpit out of wood, carboard and an old Trabant steering wheel under his desk and dreamed about driving the world’s most exotic cars. He grew up watching Michael Schumacher become a legendary driver, falling in love with speed and all things Ferrari in the process.

In high school, he crashed a communist-era Dacia 1310 with no brakes into a military base’s fence and almost got arrested on terrorism charges but bribed the base’s sentinel with three packs of cigarettes and only got in trouble for ruining the car.

He then decided to put his passion for cars on hold and concentrate on playing professional basketball. Due to a lack of talent, size, and a serious injury, he was forced to abandon professional sports and take a job as a video game tester. It was during this period that he discovered a passion for reading and writing after finding Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels on a park bench.

The author’s writing style was fascinating to young Vlad and he continued to read all his books while creating a blog where he wrote about controversial social issues, inspired by his favorite author.

Years later, he got back to his first passion, taking a job at a local car parts dealership. He worked his way up from the sales department to a successful regional manager position, but something was still missing.

His biggest dream was to write so, when Autoevolution approached him to become a member of the team, he quit his old job instantly, and has been passionately writing ever since.

When he’s not busy creating articles or playing with his two-year-old son, he can be found working on his old BMW 3 Series Wagon or shredding trails on a mountain bike he assembled himself.
Here's a Detailed Look at the 2021 Audi A4 Allroad Prestige
Here's a Detailed Look at the 2021 Audi A4 Allroad Prestige

14 Oct 2020, 08:37 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The A4 available as a wagon does not have the luggage space you would expect from such a body style, but you don’t buy an Allroad for luggage space. You do it to be able to drive on bumpy trails in style, while having fun with the excellent ...

 
Hyundai-Kia’s Intelligent Manual Transmission Explained
Hyundai-Kia’s Intelligent Manual Transmission Explained

13 Oct 2020, 14:50 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Kia Motors unveiled details about its Intelligent Manual Transmission (iMT) earlier this year, a manual transmission which has been designed to equip the Korean manufacturer’s mild-hybrid electric vehicles. The new transmission has be...

 
What to Look for When Choosing a New Set of Tires
What to Look for When Choosing a New Set of Tires

13 Oct 2020, 13:55 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Getting a new set of tires for your vehicle can be extremely time-consuming. They come in many sizes and types, and perform differently. There is also a wide range of prices. Tires are an extremely important and often overlooked part of the way ...

 
Understanding Turbos, Superchargers and the Evolution of the E-Turbo
Understanding Turbos, Superchargers and the Evolution of the E-Turbo

13 Oct 2020, 12:43 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The ever-growing need to make smaller, more efficient engines has forced car manufacturers to rethink the traditional turbos and superchargers. On road cars, the traditional way to get more power out of an engine is to use either a supercharger ...

 
Is The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Worth Buying Despite its Mediocre Range?
Is The 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge EV Worth Buying Despite its Mediocre Range?

11 Oct 2020, 13:59 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The Swedish car manufacturer is set to release its first pure electric vehicle, the XC40 Recharge P8 next year. Based on the award-winning, compact-luxury XC40 SUV, the Recharge is Volvo’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Tesla Model Y. Bu...

 
How to Stop a Bullet: The Brembo Braking System on the 2020 Nissan GT-R Nismo
How to Stop a Bullet: The Brembo Braking System on the 2020 Nissan GT-R Nismo

11 Oct 2020, 13:50 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The 2020 GT-R Nismo has many upgrades like the turbo modifications taken from the GT3-spec car, the ‘R’ mode gear setting added to the 6-speed automatic gearbox, more carbon-fiber body panels and one of the most advanced braking systems...

 
How to Remove the 2021 Ford Bronco Doors and Roof
How to Remove the 2021 Ford Bronco Doors and Roof

9 Oct 2020, 16:19 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / After 25 years of absence the legendary Bronco makes its return to Ford’s vehicle line-up for the 2021 model year aiming for the Wrangler’s undisputed title of king of the mid-sized off-roader segment. The ingeniously designed model...

 
Understanding Ford's Post Collision Braking System
Understanding Ford's Post Collision Braking System

9 Oct 2020, 13:31 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The technology is not new, being available as standard or optional on cars from brands such as BMW and VW but the vast majority of collision braking systems focus on the events before the crash. To add safety in all cases, the Ford post collis...

 
A Look into the Bentley Bentayga Speed’s W12 Engine
A Look into the Bentley Bentayga Speed’s W12 Engine

8 Oct 2020, 18:15 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The Newest generation of the exclusive, luxury SUV has no groundbreaking changes from the previous model, essentially being only an esthetic upgrade, but why fix something that’s not broken? The 2021 Bentayga Speed will be the sole bearer...

 
The Off-Road Capabilities of the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
The Off-Road Capabilities of the 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon

8 Oct 2020, 16:46 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The bigger, more versatile sibling of the popular Wrangler is one of the most capable Jeep vehicles ever built, being engineered from the ground up to tackle even the most unforgiving terrain. The Gladiator reintroduced pickup Jeeps back to the...

 
How the Speedshift Dual Clutch Transmission on the Mercedes-AMG GT Works
How the Speedshift Dual Clutch Transmission on the Mercedes-AMG GT Works

8 Oct 2020, 15:38 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The Mercedes-AMG GT is a spectacular performance car that takes Mercedes AMG’s Formula 1 expertise and applies it to the world of road cars. Harnessing the power of the handcrafted turbo charged V8, the AMG Speedshift DCT 7 transmission is as...

 
Examining the 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Chassis and Suspension
Examining the 2021 RAM 1500 TRX Chassis and Suspension

7 Oct 2020, 16:29 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The apex predator of the truck world, the latest Ram 1500 TRX has been revealed this summer and it pushes the boundaries of performance pickup trucks to new heights. The intimidating machine is powered by the 6.2-liter, twin-screw supercharged ...

 
Here Is What the 2021 Genesis G80 Interior Has to Offer
Here Is What the 2021 Genesis G80 Interior Has to Offer

7 Oct 2020, 14:00 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The Genesis brand has been enjoying a huge raise in popularity in the U.S. and it aims to reward its fans and customers with a new generation of luxury vehicles that offer improvements across the board. The luxury brand’s newest mid-size...

 
New Generation of Pirelli Cinturato P7 Tires Means Business
New Generation of Pirelli Cinturato P7 Tires Means Business

7 Oct 2020, 07:41 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The Italian tire manufacturer has been revolutionizing the industry for more than 50 years, gracing the wheels of performance road cars and legendary racing machines. In 2009 Pirelli launched the first generation of the Cinturato P7, which was ...

 
Is the 2020 C8 Corvette Steering Wheel as Good as The Car?
Is the 2020 C8 Corvette Steering Wheel as Good as The Car?

6 Oct 2020, 17:00 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / We can all agree that the C8 Corvette is a marvelous piece of engineering which can dare to rival some far more expensive supercars, but things are less clear when it comes to its steering wheel. Chevrolet launched the latest version of its Cor...

 
Geely’s Open-Source SEA EV Architecture Has a Lot of Potential
Geely’s Open-Source SEA EV Architecture Has a Lot of Potential

6 Oct 2020, 15:43 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is China’s leading privately-owned automotive manufacturer that currently makes cars under their own Geely brand an also owns the Lotus, Lynk & Co, Proton, and Volvo brands. Recently, the company announced...

 
A Deeper Insight into The E-Tron S Triple Electric Motor Drivetrain
A Deeper Insight into The E-Tron S Triple Electric Motor Drivetrain

6 Oct 2020, 15:17 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Audi revealed their latest version of the company’s first mass-production EV earlier this year in the shape of the all new e-tron S and its Sportback twin. It is the first EV with a three-motor powertrain ever built and checks all the boxes t...

 
Toyota GR Yaris Turbocharged Three-Cylinder Engine Under Inspection
Toyota GR Yaris Turbocharged Three-Cylinder Engine Under Inspection

5 Oct 2020, 15:32 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / After enormous success in motorsport with feats like the WRC title and three consecutive wins at Le Mans, Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division launched the road-legal, rally-inspired GR Yaris in Japan not long ago.  It features one of the most...

 
A Closer Look at the New M3 And M4 Carbon Fiber Bucket Seats
A Closer Look at the New M3 And M4 Carbon Fiber Bucket Seats

5 Oct 2020, 12:43 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The next generation of M badged high-performance cars from BMW is here. Most of the talking points are centered around the controversial new front grille which to some of us make the car look like a sleepy beaver. The carbon-fiber sports seats, on ...

 
Understanding Conventional Friction Brakes and the Regenerative Braking System
Understanding Conventional Friction Brakes and the Regenerative Braking System

4 Oct 2020, 17:40 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Conventional car brakes are built with one thing in mind, the purpose of stopping the car. Since this purpose is essential, a great deal of time and resources were invested in the evolution of such systems. Yet one thing seemed to be overlooked...

 

Stories by Vlad Radu