Aurel Niculescu
9,661 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.
Toyota Aygo Successor Will Get GA-B Lease of Life With New A-Segment Commitment
3 Mar 2021, 10:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota intentionally leaves out any reference to the Aygo nameplate from the new announcement. That could easily mean the Japanese automaker is trying to distance itself from the current city car that is only in its second generation and has been a...
2022 Mercedes-AMG GT 73 Flaunts V8 E Performance Next to F1 Car and Project One
3 Mar 2021, 09:24 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although they partially share the same name, the Affalterbach-based Mercedes-AMG and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team have had loose ties so far, and even different headquarters. But, from now on, the Brackley, England outlet and the German high-p...
2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Interior Design Gets Unraveled in Style-Driven Teaser
3 Mar 2021, 08:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Mercedes-Benz is slowly, but steadily, moving forward with its EQ-related plans. We recently found out that it decided to give up on plans to bring the EQC (its first member of the EV-centric family) to the United States. No worries, though, becaus...
162-MPH BMW 330i Uses the Autobahn to Go Beyond Factory Speed Limit
27 Feb 2021, 09:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The BMW 3 Series executive car has been manufactured by the Bavarian automaker since 1975. Its latest G20 iteration has already racked up a lot of mileage and has been (so far) safeguarded from the recent styling derailments performed by the carmak...
Everrati Hooks Its EV-Converted Classics to the InstaVolt Open-Charger Grid
27 Feb 2021, 08:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Taking an instantly recognizable classic car and giving it a fully electric drivetrain isn’t exactly new anymore. It’s also logical, as people seek to enjoy timeless automotive creations even in a zero-emissions era. Hopefully, it&rsquo...
Girard-Perregaux Gets Anointed as Aston Martin's Equally Famous Watch Associate
27 Feb 2021, 07:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It would probably be entirely rhetorical to ask if anyone recalls high-end partnerships between automotive companies and luxury watchmakers. After all, these associations have been happening for decades, and just recently, Porsche and Tag Heuer emb...
Tuned Ford F-150 Raptor Was Probably Built for Off-Road Tailgate Parties
24 Feb 2021, 15:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / If there's one thing the 2021 Ford Bronco saga has taught us is that one needs to have a Ghandi-like level of patience with the Blue Oval when it comes to its most popular models. Still, people need to do something with their time while counti...
Gulf-Livery 1984 Citroen 2CV Brings Racing Fuel to Your Sports Cars for $24,250
24 Feb 2021, 14:18 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / In a world gone mad after crossovers, SUVs, and (every imaginable type of) trucks, we thought we had seen them all. Of course, as the late Sir Sean Connery would point out, one should never say never again. Still, we dare anyone to think of a quirk...
Ex-Racing Glories Run Around Daytona in Rentals to Put the Stock Back in NASCAR
24 Feb 2021, 13:23 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup Series race is already waiting for the 2022 lineup after an action-packed (and nerve-crunching) result that saw two major wrecks and a surprising win by Michael McDowell (his first in the Cup Series). But the venue isn&rs...
Red and Black 1988 Dodge Power Ram Would Be a Hoot If Not for Something Fishy
24 Feb 2021, 12:25 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ram’s slow but steady rise to stardom went through many different stages before it became a standalone automaker, so many of its classic iterations remain inextricably linked to the Dodge branding. Some prefer it this way, even if sometimes i...
GTO Engineering Cooking Something Special Under the "Project Moderna" Codename
24 Feb 2021, 11:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / GTO Engineering, well known for its Ferrari-related work since way back in the early 1980s, has a neat little car blueprint in the making. It’s codenamed “Project Moderna,” and we bet it has nothing to do with the company that cre...
98MM Turbo Chevy Silverado Makes Powerful 8.8-Second Statement at the Strip
24 Feb 2021, 10:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Whenever you see a stock-looking vehicle hitting the drag strip, there’s a chance one of them will catch the competition by surprise. But that usually happens because only the appearance has remained the same as the day that ride left the fac...
Stunning 1991 Porsche 911 Special Commission Marks Singer's Expansion to Taiwan
24 Feb 2021, 09:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Singer’s incredibly detailed reimagining of the classic air-cooled generations of the Porsche 911 is probably one of the main reasons why the market for restored and modified versions of timeless nameplates has taken off in recent years. Neve...
Someone's Trying to Swing Faith Hill's Spotless 1960 Chevy Corvette for Profit
24 Feb 2021, 09:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Chevrolet has always been a darling of the music industry, and it should come as no surprise that “America’s Sports Car” has occupied a special place in the hearts of many artists. Until recently, a C1 Corvette from 1960 was also ...
2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Keeps Dated Looks, Brings Enhanced Powertrain
24 Feb 2021, 08:12 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just a few days ago, we’ve seen Mitsubishi present the all-new Outlander generation for the 2022 model year. The company has been slowly but steadily rolling out new models, as earlier this month it also brought the refreshed 2022 Eclipse Cro...
2021 Ram TRX Hooks up With 20 Years Older 1500 Sport Off-Road Magnum Grand-Daddy
23 Feb 2021, 14:51 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Stellantis North America has a habit of shoehorning the 6.2-liter HEMI supercharged gasoline V8 under the hood of just about everything with wheels. As such, it roars from inside muscle cars, family SUVs, and (formerly) workhorse pickup trucks. But...
Fastback Spotting Dilemma: 2-Door Bronco as Salty First Edition or Cactus Gray?
23 Feb 2021, 13:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just a few months from now, Ford’s Bronco will finally be out and about on U.S. roads as the first deliveries will finally kick off sometime this summer (June, according to the rumor mill). At that point, spotting the reinvented off-roader is...
1976 Chevy K5 Blazer Chalet Mixes Classic Truck Looks With Overlanding Lifestyle
23 Feb 2021, 13:14 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / As far as rare, factory-built motorhomes go, this model certainly fits the bill in more ways than others. It’s part classic off-road truck with Chevy C/K pickup heritage and part luxurious camper that makes do without all the strings attached...
2021 Isuzu D-Max Workhorse Ready for the Tough British Life From £20,999
23 Feb 2021, 12:33 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The latest iteration of the Japanese workhorse will be available for British customers with a single engine option, a Euro 6D-compliant 1.9-liter turbo diesel engine packing 164 PS (162 hp) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) of torque. On the other h...
Only One American Truck Is More Dependable Than Japanese Rivals in 2021 Study
23 Feb 2021, 11:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / J.D. Power recently released the findings of its 32nd annual U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and, unsurprisingly, the premium Japanese brand Lexus got crowned once more as the most reliable marque overall. Still, the study also brought news ...