Aurel Niculescu
9,663 ARTICLES
There he understood anything is possible if you work hard and passionately strive to follow your imagination. This is how at the age of 16 he managed to fulfill the first dream – flying alone in a glider plane. He was no Tom Cruise, of course, so young adulthood brought him back to reality.
With every kick in the familiar *utt comes a chance to step forward, so a seemingly unimportant ad in one of his favorite automotive magazines brought a dilemma - follow through with the current job or dare to achieve greatness by deploying (previously) unknown literary skills.
Since 2006, he’s been perfecting them at Automondial, Supercar, Cox, Autoshow, Autopro, Auto Motor & Sport, and more magazines plus their online versions. After driving some of the best and worst cars in Europe and around the world, he’s part of the autoevolution team, where he aims to develop his best-ever form.
Spring Thaw Nears, Final Winter Tips Come From Tanner Foust in Golf R and ID.4
26 Mar 2021, 08:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As we prepare to wave goodbye to the final signs of winter, just about everyone comes out of hiding to enjoy the spring thaw. Not Tanner Foust, though, because he’s keen to take advantage of the last inches of snow that still adorn Michigan&r...
Spring-Ready 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder Could Become a Thrill Partner for Just $11K
25 Mar 2021, 14:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We’ve already taken the time to explain why a used Toyota MR2 Spyder might be an excellent deal for anyone looking to secure a sports car without breaking the bank. But let us showcase the perfect example for what we had in mind when using th...
Ford Crown Victoria Goes Undercover, Becomes the Most Unlikely Longhorn Carrier
25 Mar 2021, 14:03 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Texas longhorns (the cattle breed, not the athletic teams of the state’s university) are obviously renowned for their most prized possession—the long horns which can go over 100 inches (more than 2.5 meters) from tip to tip. Naturally, ...
Rider Oblivious to Traffic Tempts Fate Twice, Luckily Only Her Bike Suffers
25 Mar 2021, 12:56 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Oddly enough, some people are so out of this world that even when they’re on camera, they don’t follow the rules and apply the very least amount of common sense. Actually, the example we’re about to show you features the human bei...
Possible Reveal of 2022 Toyota GR 86 Slated by Gazoo Racing for April 5 in Japan
25 Mar 2021, 12:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota likes to develop its sports cars with other manufacturers during times of financial distress and great transformations. Case in point, the collaboration with BMW for the fifth-generation A90 GR Supra. But we also need to remember the 86/BRZ ...
2021 Ford F-150 Goes Head-to-Head With 2021 Toyota Tundra, Truck Fans Triumph
25 Mar 2021, 11:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With the Blue Oval gunning for the 45th yearly sales crown for the F-Series, it’s no wonder the company pushes the envelope with the 2021 F-150. And, in a bid to paint the full-size truck in the best light, Ford even takes a look at the alter...
Dry Hopping Vintage '74 Chevy Camaro Thunders the Win Against “Showoff” Sibling
25 Mar 2021, 10:26 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Whenever two high-performance vehicles are equipped with parachutes, just about everyone knows the high adrenaline quarter-mile ride will be over in a matter of (very few) seconds. But that doesn’t mean the spectacle is over too quickly becau...
Front Grille Haters Should Focus on This BMW M3's CGI Widebody Kit Instead
25 Mar 2021, 09:38 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As was the case with the (in)famous Chris Bangle design era, the Bavarian luxury car manufacturer's current styling decisions might grow into an acquired taste. Only time will tell if that’s the case, but for now, let’s choose to i...
Fast Five 1963 Corvette Grand Sport Dom and Brian Stole From Train Is for Sale
25 Mar 2021, 08:47 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As far as prized Corvettes go, a few versions easily stand out in any collector crowd, such as the L88s. But aficionados know very well there’s yet another exotic that’s even more valuable—the 1963 C2 Corvette Grand Sport Duntov b...
McLaren SLR-AMG Mercedes Virtual Fantasy Rekindles the GT From a British POV
25 Mar 2021, 08:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As it happens with other iconic vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren grand tourer may be gone, but it certainly hasn’t been forgotten. And that’s valid both in the real world and the virtual realm, where pixel artists can always come...
“Zombie” Chevy Malibu Wagon Goes Rogue, Side-Bites Nova During Feisty Drag Race
24 Mar 2021, 15:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although Chevrolet’s Nova has taken a lot of banter over the years because of its name (it means “not going” in Spanish), this time around, it’s not the car’s fault for being unable to complete the quarter-mile. Instea...
2021 Ford Bronco Tries Sasquatch for Size to Impress T6 Ranger Platform Sibling
24 Mar 2021, 14:16 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Blue Oval apparently has a big showcase event for the 2021 Bronco coming up in Moab, Utah. Naturally, Ford is trying hard to direct everyone’s attention towards the Bronco 2-Door/4-Door and Bronco Sport presentations coming up at the Moab...
1972 Toyota FJ40 Gets Trail-Pitted Against 2010 FJ Cruiser, Rock Crawling Wins
24 Mar 2021, 13:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Both the FJ40 and the FJ Cruiser are massively relevant for the Land Cruiser heritage, obviously. For decades, the 40 series represented the Japanese alternative to the all-mighty Jeep CJ/Wrangler, while the FJ Cruiser pushed the throttle on vintag...
Lavender-Dressed 1991 Porsche 911 by Singer Casually Admires Japanese Landmarks
24 Mar 2021, 12:23 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although it’s a fairly young company established back in 2009, Singer Vehicle Design has gained worldwide recognition for its air-cooled Porsche 911 Reimagined series. And while many brands took a step back during the harsh recent times, the ...
Obscure 1966 Plymouth Belvedere Hardtop Was Customized for Drag Racing Glory
24 Mar 2021, 11:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Entitling itself as the “world’s largest collector car auction company,” Mecum is keen on supporting its reputation with as many events as possible. The auctioneer just wrapped the Glendale, Arizona event with an influx of over $4...
Six-Second Big Block Chevy “Green Mamba” RX-7 Gaps All, Save for Rocket Camaro
24 Mar 2021, 10:28 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The 1990 Mazda RX-7 owned by Rick Prospero of Rick’s Fab Shop is well known among drag racing aficionados, with the Japanese ride affectionately known as “Green Mamba” doing the runs for some years now. That doesn’t me...
38k-Mile A80 Toyota Supra Turbo Ready to Make Someone a Red King of the 1990s
24 Mar 2021, 09:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After three fairly successful generations, Toyota probably decided it was time to spice up things a bit, so the Mk IV (A80) Supra was the result of bolder choices for both styling and performance. Obviously, blending twin-turbo performance with the...
Toyota GR Yaris Goes Out on the Autobahn to Prove Its Pocket Rocket Qualities
24 Mar 2021, 08:56 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / If there’s one modern hot hatchback that’s become the darling of the moment, it's got to be Toyota’s GR Yaris. And it’s probably on everyone’s pocket rocket shortlist for all the right reasons. After all, it&rsquo...
1994 C4 Chevrolet Corvette Ends Up Burnt to a Crisp After Intense Garage Blaze
24 Mar 2021, 08:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Whenever popular sports cars are mentioned in the news, we’re used to getting reports of driver errors leading to spectacular fails and dramatic action. But, at least on this occasion, the problem that prompted the owner into "save mode&...
2022 GMC Terrain Update Makes the AT4 Family Complete, Brings More Tech
23 Mar 2021, 15:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As previously pledged by the U.S. automaker, the 2022 GMC Terrain upgrade has seen the AT4 variant trickle down to the company’s smallest model, which has been rehashed as a compact crossover when the second generation was introduced back in ...