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.
Turbo-Rocket V8: Remembering the Automotive World's First Mass-Produced, Turbocharged V8
Turbo-Rocket V8: Remembering the Automotive World's First Mass-Produced, Turbocharged V8

27 Nov 2023, 11:34 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / A small (by 1962 standards), all-aluminum V8 produced by Oldsmobile, the innovative Turbo-Rocket introduced turbocharging to the masses. These days, most of the internal combustion engines that are still mass-produced employ turbochargers. ...

 
5 Classic, Street-Legal Muscle Cars That Were Race-Bred Homologation Specials
5 Classic, Street-Legal Muscle Cars That Were Race-Bred Homologation Specials

26 Nov 2023, 09:33 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Unlike most muscle cars from the golden age, these five legends were created specifically for motorsport homologation purposes. For decades, the rulebooks of many motorsport competitions stated that, in order for a race car to compete, manufact...

 
The One-Off Corvette Rondine: When Italian Flair Met American Muscle
The One-Off Corvette Rondine: When Italian Flair Met American Muscle

25 Nov 2023, 20:54 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Coachbuilt by Pininfarina, the Corvette Rondine looked more like a Ferrari from the 1960s than the C2 it was based on. During its 70-year history, the Chevrolet Corvette became America's most beloved sports car and one of the most legendar...

 
5 Most Beautiful Custom Cars Designed by Chip Foose
5 Most Beautiful Custom Cars Designed by Chip Foose

25 Nov 2023, 14:00 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Designer extraordinaire Chip Foose has left its mark on the world of custom cars with some incredible works of automotive art. In this article, we'll take a look at what we consider to be his most beautiful five creations. Born in Santa Bar...

 
'71-'72 Heavy Chevy: A Muscle Car That's Still Heavy on Looks and Light on Price
'71-'72 Heavy Chevy: A Muscle Car That's Still Heavy on Looks and Light on Price

25 Nov 2023, 09:28 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / As it was back in 71-72, the Heavy Chevy is the perfect choice for second-generation Chevelle fans who can't afford an SS but want more of a muscle car than the standard Malibu sport coupe. Apart from legendary models like the HEMI-powered ...

 
5 Most Expensive 426 HEMI-Powered Classics Ever Sold at Public Auctions
5 Most Expensive 426 HEMI-Powered Classics Ever Sold at Public Auctions

24 Nov 2023, 18:43 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Nowadays, any classic car equipped with the mighty 426 HEMI is expensive. Still, these five rare and highly original examples sold at public auctions take the notion of expensive to another level. Named after its hemispherical combustion chamber...

 
1970 Plymouth Duster 340: Remembering Mopar's Giant-Slaying Mini Muscle Car
1970 Plymouth Duster 340: Remembering Mopar's Giant-Slaying Mini Muscle Car

24 Nov 2023, 15:19 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Equipped with Mopar's potent small block, the new-for-1970 Duster 340 was a budget-friendly muscle car that terrorized owners of larger, more powerful performance models. In my home country of Romania, as well as in most European countries,...

 
5 Most Powerful ICE-Powered Hypercars Ever Produced
5 Most Powerful ICE-Powered Hypercars Ever Produced

23 Nov 2023, 22:40 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The era of electrification is upon us, and with it come the most powerful hypercars ever built. Nevertheless, the ridiculously powerful models in this article prove that the good old internal combustion engine (ICE) can still pack a punch. If th...

 
'66-'67 Fairlane 427: One of the Rarest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars of Its Era
'66-'67 Fairlane 427: One of the Rarest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars of Its Era

23 Nov 2023, 15:45 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Though it arrived late to the muscle car party, the 427-powered Fairlane earned its place by becoming one of the rarest, most powerful street-legal models from the golden age of muscle cars. When discussing iconic Ford muscle from the sixties an...

 
Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5–16 Evo II: The Story of the Cosworth-Powered, AMG-Tuned Legend
Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5–16 Evo II: The Story of the Cosworth-Powered, AMG-Tuned Legend

22 Nov 2023, 17:31 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Produced in a limited series of just over 500 units, the 2.5-16 Evolution II was one of the wildest homologation specials from the 1990s. Since the early days of the automobile, manufacturers have used motorsport as the most effective means of p...

 
5 Reliable Used SUVs That You Can Buy for Under $10,000
5 Reliable Used SUVs That You Can Buy for Under $10,000

21 Nov 2023, 18:18 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / If you're looking for a used SUV that isn't over 15 years old and your main priority is reliability, these are five models you should consider. As much as some car people (myself included) hate to admit it, SUVs have become the most po...

 
BMW S50 EU-Spec: The M3's First Six-Cylinder, an Iconic Engine That the US Couldn't Have
BMW S50 EU-Spec: The M3's First Six-Cylinder, an Iconic Engine That the US Couldn't Have

20 Nov 2023, 11:50 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / After the E30 generation set the stage, the newer E34 helped make the M3 wildly popular worldwide. But while most buyers were treated to the legendary Euro-spec S50, US enthusiasts had to settle for a less powerful and less advanced version. Fou...

 
5 Most Legendary Mustangs Ever Featured in Successful Hollywood Movies
5 Most Legendary Mustangs Ever Featured in Successful Hollywood Movies

19 Nov 2023, 09:23 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / In nearly six decades since the debut of the legendary nameplate, several Mustangs have appeared in Hollywood blockbuster movies. Some were just ordinary models that didn't really stand out, but these five awesome 'Stangs were anything bu...

 
5 Coolest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars Ever Produced by Dodge
5 Coolest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars Ever Produced by Dodge

19 Nov 2023, 09:02 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / From the 1960s to the present day, Dodge has produced some of the most legendary muscle cars that ever roamed on public roads. The brand's story started in December 1900 when Horace and John Dodge founded the Dodge Brothers Company in Detro...

 
5 Legendary Muscle Cars Developed in Collaboration With Hurst
5 Legendary Muscle Cars Developed in Collaboration With Hurst

18 Nov 2023, 12:37 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / The top OEM and aftermarket shifter manufacturer during the golden age of muscle cars, Hurst was also involved in developing some of the era's most iconic high-performance models. Founded in 1958 by George Hurst and Bill Campbell, the compa...

 
1971 AMC Javelin AMX: A Rare Golden Age Muscle Car That's Still Affordable Today
1971 AMC Javelin AMX: A Rare Golden Age Muscle Car That's Still Affordable Today

18 Nov 2023, 08:33 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / If you've dreamed about owning a classic pony car powered by a muscular V8 but don't have the budget for a Mustang, Camaro, or 'Cuda, look no further than the fantastic 1971 Javelin AMX. By the strict definition, a muscle car is a...

 
5 Car Engines You Probably Didn't Know Were Developed With Help From Yamaha
5 Car Engines You Probably Didn't Know Were Developed With Help From Yamaha

17 Nov 2023, 16:18 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Though famous for its motorcycles, the Yamaha Motor Company also took its talents to the automotive industry by helping develop some terrific engines. Founded in the spring of 1955, the Yamaha Motor Company is known across the globe by gearheads...

 
MG XPower SV: Remembering the Wild, Anglo-Italian Sports Car Powered by an American V8
MG XPower SV: Remembering the Wild, Anglo-Italian Sports Car Powered by an American V8

17 Nov 2023, 15:45 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / Partially assembled in Italy, the carbon-fiber-bodied SVT Mustang Cobra V8-powered XPower SV was one of MG's most wild sports cars. Throughout its 100-year history, MG has switched more owners than any other established British carmaker. ...

 
5 Greatest Chevy SS Models From the Golden Age of Muscle Cars
5 Greatest Chevy SS Models From the Golden Age of Muscle Cars

16 Nov 2023, 15:32 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / During the 1960s and 1970s, some of the most impressive, performance-oriented Chevys were equipped with the legendary SS package. As the horsepower war was heating up during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Detroit's biggest carmakers began ...

 
1956 Chrysler 300B: The First American Production Car To Make One HP per Cubic Inch
1956 Chrysler 300B: The First American Production Car To Make One HP per Cubic Inch

15 Nov 2023, 11:25 UTC · By: Vlad Radu / A decade before 426 HEMI-powered intermediates were unleashed on public roads, becoming instant muscle car legends, the Chrysler Corporation made headlines with another HEMI-powered, high-performance vehicle: the mighty 300B. Today, Chrysler (as...

 

Stories by Vlad Radu