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.
Mongoose Corvette Train Heist Scene Cost A Fifth of Fast Five's Budget
19 Dec 2020, 10:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It has been almost a decade since Vin Diesel (as Dominic Toretto) and the late Paul Walker (as Brian O'Conner) seemed to jump off a cliff and into a wet abyss while (trying to) drive away in a C2 Chevy Corvette of the famous Mongoose variety. ...
White Chromed 1996 Ford Bronco Clearly Prepares for 4x4 Youngtimer Glory
19 Dec 2020, 09:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With all the conundrum surrounding the global health crisis-related delay in planned deliveries for the 2021 Ford Bronco, it's not surprising some fans don’t want to wait any longer. Luckily, our Celebration Month feature includes anythi...
Watch Audi's 2021 RS7 Dance and Sing in the Winter Wonderland of Austria's Tyrol
19 Dec 2020, 08:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Roughly a year has passed since the second-generation Audi RS7, possibly one of the most beautiful models with the four-ringed badge, was presented at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. Now, do you think a Glacier White example will get mistaken for th...
Morgan Goes to Aptly Named Piston Distillery, Blends Ash Wood With Gin
19 Dec 2020, 07:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Once the Holiday spirit (pun intended) takes over, many of us discover that we’re again a little unprepared to select the perfect gifts for our loved ones. No worries, because automotive companies have that covered as well, and you can have v...
1,000PS+ Infinitas Hurricane BMW M5 Prototype Has a Bit of Wind Noise at 194 MPH
18 Dec 2020, 15:42 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Already going through the oddly named LCI (Life Cycle Impulse) - a.k.a. a facelift - the F90 generation of the BMW M5 high-performance sedan has had plenty of time to prove its worth. And with its tried and tested attitude, the platform has demonst...
Alpha Seeks to Become the Little ACE of a Coupe for Our Sustainable Mobility
18 Dec 2020, 13:01 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Last month we saw the introduction of the Elation Hypercars Freedom, a luxury EV supercar coming from an obscure startup automaker. In December, we’re not dealing with something touting around more than one megawatt of power (1,040 kW or 1,42...
Manhart Turns the BMW M5 Into 823-HP MH5 Black Edition So Anyone Can Stalk Santa
18 Dec 2020, 12:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / A subtle and very dark demeanor is always a great way to pass unnoticed when driving a business sedan. But when dealing with BMW’s F90 M5 high-performance version, it’s always a bit harder to avoid standing out in a crowd. Well, Manhart...
Uncut-Fender 1976 Ford Bronco Hides Something Really Unexpected Under the Hood
18 Dec 2020, 11:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Securing a 2021 Ford Bronco is a distant perspective, which is probably one of the reasons why first-generation builds have become increasingly popular. Of course, not everything is owed to the introduction of the modern version, because the origin...
Ruby Red Coyote-Swapped 1976 Ford Bronco Restomod Asks $150k to Go on Adventures
18 Dec 2020, 10:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Mecum Auctions’ 2021 Kissimmee event will take place just a few days after the Christmas holiday ends, but that doesn’t mean Bronco fans shouldn’t prepare a bucket load of cash for a custom project that would perfectly fit next to...
These Are the Finalists of the 2021 NACTOY Awards, Results Arrive January 11th
18 Dec 2020, 09:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The 2021 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year jurors have decided, and the awards organizers have obliged, presenting us with the roster of finalists. Exactly nine vehicles were selected, three for each main category, so the se...
829-HP Pagani Huayra Tricolore Could Be More Expensive Than a Military Jet
18 Dec 2020, 08:11 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Automakers like to showcase how they borrow technology from other domains, and the aviation field has always been a major source of both inspiration and engineering solutions. But some do get to bring a higher representation than others. Case ...
Tesla on Autopilot Doesn't Flinch When Nissan Driver Spectacularly Fails the PIT
17 Dec 2020, 15:01 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Widely used as a pursuit tactic, the PIT (pursuit intervention technique) maneuver is also well-known from countless Hollywood blockbusters. On the other hand, the “rare and elusive self-pit maneuver,” as one reddit user jokingly sums u...
Euro-Spec Kia Sorento PHEV Range Way Better Than U.S. Model, But There's a Catch
17 Dec 2020, 14:16 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The South Korean automaker brought to U.S. shores its all-new, fourth-generation 2021 Sorento earlier this fall. After that, the company didn’t dwell on the promise that its seven-seat midsize crossover is not only stylish, but also more capa...
Steeda's N/A Ford Mustang GT Meets Demon at the Strip, Gets Into 9.7-Second Mood
17 Dec 2020, 13:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This 2018 Ford Mustang GT is better known by its drag strip birth name – a.k.a. the Steeda Silver Bullet. And, according to the aftermarket specialist, this ‘Stang is the current record holder for the quickest naturally aspirated modern...
C8 Corvette Prototypes Try to Outrun Black Rose Z06, End Up Showing Their Lair
17 Dec 2020, 12:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / General Motors was incredibly successful in pushing forward the new mid-engine setup of the C8 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and probably the biggest issue for 2020 was coping with demand. Fans, naturally, are always on the lookout for the next iter...
Ford Bronco Warthog Spied Around Dearborn, Meets 2021 Bronco and Custom Wrangler
17 Dec 2020, 11:18 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Blue Oval first teased the heavily camouflaged 2022 Bronco Warthog back in September with a jumping prototype shot. Its protective layer hasn’t come off since, but we do have more interesting aspects to discuss, based on the latest spy vi...
Team Fordzilla P1 Virtual Racer Turned Into Real Scale Model In Just Seven Weeks
17 Dec 2020, 10:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With everything taking place digitally these days – not necessarily because of technical breakthroughs but also forced by the current health situation – we see a resurgence in real, tangible creations. Take the latest creations from the...
Custom 1993 Mazda RX-7 Puts Rotary to Good Use When Facing V10 Supercar
17 Dec 2020, 09:33 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Born way back in 1992, the third-generation Mazda RX-7 (a.k.a. the iconic FD) has remained popular ever since with rotary engine fans. It should be noted that a model from 1993 – the same year as the model seen in the video below – was ...
Five Tesla Model S Fight for Drag Glory, Lonely Model X Also Vies for the Crown
17 Dec 2020, 08:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Many people forgive Elon Musk for his exaggerations because of one important achievement. He did manage to demonstrate via Tesla and its models that electric vehicles are not just a curiosity. Now, the message isn’t taken everywhere by Musk h...
2021 Nissan Murano Is Almost $1k More Expensive, Starts From $32,510
16 Dec 2020, 14:50 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Japanese automaker recently celebrated half a million sales and ten years of existence for the Leaf electric vehicle, but until the Ariya e-4Force arrives to combine the two segments, Nissan is better off focusing on crossovers if it wants bett...