Aurel Niculescu
9,659 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.
1993 Ford Bronco With Soft Top, Stick Shift, and Off-Road Mods Is a Low-Bid Gem
23 Dec 2020, 12:40 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Whenever looking for a cool SUV from the 1990s, the prospect of a fifth-generation Ford Bronco is always just around the corner. Or rather, a few clicks away, as is the case with this 1993 example that comes with a black paint job, a soft-top, a ma...
Volkswagen Bids Farewell to e-Golf, Will Refocus Dresden Facility to ID.3
23 Dec 2020, 12:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After a little more than half a decade on the sustainable mobility front, the Volkswagen e-Golf is heading into retirement. Production of the fully electric compact just ended, with the final vehicle rolling out from the assembly line of the Transp...
Nissan Note e-Power AWD Ready to Handle Japan's Winter Chills From Around $22k
23 Dec 2020, 11:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / European fans of the Nissan brand are patiently awaiting the arrival of the new generation Qashqai. American aficionados have the refreshed 2021 Armada to keep them company. Meanwhile, Japanese customers have a double temptation, in the form of the...
Doug DeMuro Thinks the McLaren P1 GTR Snatches “Most Thrilling Drive” Title
23 Dec 2020, 10:37 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although McLaren only created 58 P1 GTRs, and they were all solely intended for exclusive track use, here we have Doug DeMuro reviewing chassis number one and even driving it on the street. Mind you, he didn’t break any laws, because this uni...
Ford Crown Victoria Is an Undercover “Ghost” With Vortech V8 and a Stick Shift
23 Dec 2020, 08:30 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although its little “Police Interceptor” badge on the trunk lid and the larger manual light spotters for the driver and partner might give it away as a retired cop car, one shouldn’t dismiss this as just another patrol car that en...
1984 Mercedes 280 CE Delivers a 200KPH+ Autobahn Statement of German Engineering
22 Dec 2020, 13:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This German Coupe was born the same year as this writer, and I can humbly confess that Mercedes’ E-Class (a white sedan from the W124 generation) was the car that introduced me to the world of superpowered vehicles. Of course, that was b...
Autokraft by AC Takes the Iconic Cobra Brand Into Uncharted Two-Wheel Territory
22 Dec 2020, 12:53 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We have recently found out with increased interest about AC Cars’ plans to build a sustainable future for its business, bringing electric power to both street and racing versions of the legendary Cobra. Now, that wasn’t exactly surprisi...
Low-Mileage 1970 Ford Bronco With Windsor V8 Will Blend in Any Sunflower Field
22 Dec 2020, 12:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ford has invited Bronco fans to discover new ways of exercising patience after recently announcing that first deliveries of the reinvented SUV will come later than initially previewed. Those who failed them and like to act on a moment’s notic...
Dodge Demon Races Challenger Hellcats, ZR1 'Vette and Turbo 'Stang at the Strip
22 Dec 2020, 10:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While the last Dodge SRT Demon rolled off the production line more than two years ago, the limited-run extreme widebody makeover of the Challenger is still a great recipe for stock drag racing fun. Especially when a skilled driver is involved, as p...
Rimac to Produce Up to Four C_Two Electric Hypercars Each Month From 2021
22 Dec 2020, 10:05 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / There are quite a few all-electric supercars that mesmerized us in recent years, from the record-setting NIO EP9 to Tesla’s promised second-generation Roadster. Not to mention the Pininfarina Battista, the Lotus Evija, and countless little st...
TFL's Third Defender Goes to Snowy Colorado to Meet Land Cruiser and Armada
22 Dec 2020, 09:24 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Land Rover’s new Defender isn’t the “agricultural-inspired” utility vehicle of lore and has now turned into a premium three-row family hauler. That is one of the main reasons why The Fast Lane Car guys have decided to set up...
Engine Issues Prompt Two Recalls on Ford E-Series, Explorer, and Lincoln Aviator
22 Dec 2020, 07:59 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The second-largest U.S. automaker has issued a couple of safety recalls for select vehicles belonging to the E-Series, the Explorer SUV range, and the premium Lincoln Aviator. The campaigns have to do with problems found inside the engine bay, but ...
Toyota Cuts the Roof Off a Supra, Splits Tacoma in Two - All in the Name of SEMA
21 Dec 2020, 13:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This year has been anything but classic, judging by the fact that Toyota is presenting “SEMA builds” in December. Sure, it did showcase an overlanding-ready Tacoma and a trio of crazy Supras for the SEMA360 online event. So it’s u...
Xiaomi-Backed Chinese Maker Xpeng Lands SUV in Norway, the EV Gateway to Europe
21 Dec 2020, 12:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s just one of a myriad of emerging electric vehicle manufacturers China has to show for on the way to sustainable mobility. But Xpeng is a little different, as it models its strategy on lessons learned the hard way from Tesla. The company ...
Spotted 2021 Ford Bronco Looks Rapid Red Cool With Strange “Fastback” Soft Top
21 Dec 2020, 11:21 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although officially revealed since July, the 2021 Ford Bronco remains an elusive presence on the streets. That’s because the Blue Oval is taking its sweet time to finally deliver the first units to reservation holders. And, in the meantime, i...
Fake Guns or Not, Five Aston Martin DB5 Goldfingers Firing Them Still Look Cool
21 Dec 2020, 10:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Aston Martin is one of those high-end automakers that can get away with presenting just about anything. The British company has delivered, so far, a Bowmore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky blended with a piston, as well as a classic name that was r...
1,100+HP Toyota MR2 Has a Neat Surprise Under the Hood for Both Street and Drags
21 Dec 2020, 10:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Japan’s first mid-engine production car, the Toyota MR2, was produced over the course of only three generations. While it didn't quite acquire the cult status of other two-seat, mid-engine, RWD sports cars, it’s a rather curious si...
Ford SVT Lightning Dukes It Out With EcoBoost Mustang and a Chevy Silverado Z71
21 Dec 2020, 09:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Christmas holidays may be almost upon us, but that doesn’t mean people stray too far away from their favorite places. And, whenever said locale includes two stretches of straight tarmac and a couple of electronic boards, you can bet we&rs...
Ford Explorer Plug-In Hybrid Comes With a Free PlayStation 5, But Only In Spain
21 Dec 2020, 08:21 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The sixth generation of the midsize crossover SUV has been quite a long time coming on the Old Continent, but now that it’s finally arrived, some markets get a better deal than others. Case in point, the Explorer Plug-In Hybrid launches in Sp...
The “Reindeer Eight” Shows Bentley Mulliner Preparing for a Special "Ho-Ho-Ho"
19 Dec 2020, 11:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Only a few days still remain until Christmas brings much-needed joy into our lives so we might be forgiven if everything seems to be painted in brighter colors. Case in point, this unique Bentley Mulliner Flying Spur V8, which has been appropriatel...