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.
AVA Stingray Is a 2,000-HP C2 Corvette Reinvented by Peter Brock and Ian Callum
5 Feb 2021, 10:25 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We’re not entirely sure if you recovered from the shock. Actually, we’re still busy collecting our jaws that got mixed up when everyone dropped them on the floor. So, let’s read that one more time – and please do it from a r...
After Redesign, 2021 Nissan Titan Brings Up Mixed Feelings From IIHS Experts
5 Feb 2021, 09:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Nissan is keeping itself busy during this first part of 2021, with the upcoming introduction of the third-generation Qashqai crossover and the recent reveal of the all-new 2022 Frontier and Pathfinder. Its Titan full-size pickup truck has already g...
Classic Truck Drag Race Through “Yak-adega” Sees Dodge Face Off With Two Chevys
5 Feb 2021, 08:45 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because we already know the TFL guys aren’t always going for hard science, and since in the land of classic vehicles, anything is (probably) allowed, we’re not going to complain about having an apples to oranges comparison. Instead, let...
Classic 1977 Dodge D100 Warlock Magically Got Away for a Mere $20k
4 Feb 2021, 15:52 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Someone should make better magic orbs because somehow, this vintage “Midnite Express Truck” vanished from under our radar before even having a chance to make an acquaintance with it properly. Well, at least the 1977 Dodge D100 Warlock g...
Owner-Built 1980 Chevy Monte Carlo Has Patina, LS, and a Pair of Truck Turbos
4 Feb 2021, 14:52 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / By the time Chevrolet’s Monte Carlo series got to its third iteration, the early-seventies oil crisis had taken its toll and the two-door coupe was downsized in just about every way. Well, at least the V6 from under the hood didn’t have...
2021 Nissan Qashqai Teaser Reveals Debut Date and Possibly Rear End Design
4 Feb 2021, 13:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Heavily relying on the pioneering crossover series' continued success, Nissan kicked off the teaser campaign for its third-generation Qashqai in November 2020. Since then, we have seen the popular SUV in full camouflage attire, got to check ou...
Slow-Speed Chevy Malibu Police Chase Ends After Six Hours and Shower of Sparks
4 Feb 2021, 12:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Here’s something you don’t get to see very often: a slow-speed freeway pursuit that lasts for hours on end. Still, given the fact that we’re dealing with a “feisty” Chevrolet Malibu here, it’s probably understand...
Audi Teases e-tron GT Flagship EV One Last Time Before February 9th Premiere
4 Feb 2021, 12:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Like many other carmakers, Audi is treading very carefully inside the electric car segment. It’s actually so prudent that we’ve had a teaser campaign for the new e-tron GT that felt longer than a freezing Siberian night in the middle of...
Destroyed 2021 Ram TRX Finally Takes a Bow Even Though It Was Always “Babied”
4 Feb 2021, 11:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Some people just go to extremes when trying to secure social media glory. Unfortunately, at times they make use of innocent vehicles to attract internet hits, and the result is both hilarious and utterly saddening. Case in point, the 2021 Ram TRX t...
This 1986 Chevy C10 Stepside Will Help Celebrate Fourth of July All Year Long
4 Feb 2021, 10:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / During this time of year we’re usually preoccupied with finding the perfect gift for our significant other, but it’s never too early to prepare for upcoming summer festivities. Better yet, there’s a chance to have one addendum tha...
Ford Performance Bronco 4600 Racer Is the 2021 King of the Hammers Surprise
4 Feb 2021, 09:09 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The U.S. automaker and the 2021 King of the Hammers off-road race are tight, we already knew that. After all, the Blue Oval was clear about how the Bronco Built Wild sub-brand was intensely sponsoring this and other ULTRA4 events. Still, we didn&rs...
First Detailed Looks at the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor Are In, Still No Word on HP
4 Feb 2021, 08:36 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With the cat out of the bag, namely the official (online) reveal of the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor, we should all return to the usual order of business. Not yet, though, because there’s a tremendous amount of details to be shared about the off-ro...
1959 Chevy Corvette From “Animal House” Up for Sale After Being Lost for Decades
3 Feb 2021, 16:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / National Lampoon's Animal House took Hollywood by storm way back in 1978 with its star cast of irreverent comedians (chief among them being Saturday Night Live alumni John Belushi) and rambunctious, subversive college comedy tropes. The m...
GM and Will Ferrell in a Hurry to Beat Norway at EV Adoption in Big Game Ad
3 Feb 2021, 15:45 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Contradictions, contradictions. Just the other day, General Motors kicked off the teasing campaign for its Big Game Ad with help from Will Ferrell. Never mind the fact that both seem to really hate Norway for something (its higher appetence for zer...
Somebody Tried to Lift a Compact Car Using Eggs, Apparently Needed Just Six Days
3 Feb 2021, 14:47 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Reddit threads have a way of turning out as an incredible source of automotive-related information if you know where to look. Of course, it also helps when bringing to light something along the lines of a guy trying to demonstrate that “eggs ...
Skoda 1203, the Only Czech Van Ever Made, Gets Stylish Virtual Camper Rebirth
3 Feb 2021, 13:38 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although Skoda certainly likes to think so, the 1203 – along with the 1203 M iteration and TAZ-S 1203/TAZ 1500 siblings – has the odd honor of being the only van ever produced in Czechoslovakia/the Czech Republic. Come to think about it...
Custom 1969 Chevy C10 Could Make Tweety Feel It's the Golden Age All Over Again
3 Feb 2021, 12:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / General Motors originally created the Chevrolet and GMC C/K series as nothing more than a workhorse, but the second-generation revision brought not only the “Action Line” tag but also a host of creature comforts. Surely, though, what co...
Clean-Black 1978 Jeep J10 Brings Its Golden Eagle Companion Along for the Ride
3 Feb 2021, 12:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / 2020 Jeep Gladiator fans should know the newly created Stellantis parent owes a debt of respect to a roster of companies that previously made the Jeep name famous in general, and the timeless J-Series pickup trucks in particular. Willys Motors...
12-Year Derelict Ferrari BB 512i Takes Its First Bath, Comes Out Sparkling White
3 Feb 2021, 10:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer (BB) series was a major step forward for the Prancing Horse back in the 1970s, becoming the first in a line of cars equipped with a mid-mounted flat-twelve engine. So, finding one abandoned in a driveway and managing to...
Hennessey's (Still) Stock McLaren 765LT Hits the Dyno, Comes Out Sporting 780WHP
3 Feb 2021, 09:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Remember how the Texas tuner recently enticed us to its latest testing project with a video of the brand-new McLaren 765LT hitting 204 mph on the track? Well, the Sealy, Houston-based aftermarket specialist is back with an even bigger hint that som...