Aurel Niculescu
9,655 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.
Enjoy the Freshest Air in Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator With the Mirrors Still On
30 Oct 2020, 14:58 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Given the current state of the world, a breath of fresh air is certainly something that has easily become as precious as gold. And automotive enthusiasts know very well there are so very few models out there currently capable of dropping most of th...
Write Down November 5th as the Pre-Sale Start for VW's Most Powerful Golf R Ever
30 Oct 2020, 14:21 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The German automaker released the first official teaser image for the launch campaign of the 2021 VW Golf R, announced as the most powerful version in the series ever. The November 4th launch date was already known via VW’s social media campa...
Volvo's Own CSI Team Is 30 Years Older Than America's Forensics Franchise
30 Oct 2020, 13:48 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With almost 800 episodes across all series of the franchise, the CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) name will remain a staple of American television for years to come, as it elevated the work of forensic scientists to the rank of art. But the moniker ...
Just 12 AC Cobras Will Intertwine Le Mans Heritage With Performance EV Future
30 Oct 2020, 12:28 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / AC Cars has become world famous thanks to Carroll Shelby’s genius idea to marry the British Ace two-seater sports roadster with Ford’s small-block V8 – thus creating the AC Shelby Cobra. With more history than one can write about ...
Lexus and Some TED Fellows Rethink Automated Cars With Emphasis on Drivers
30 Oct 2020, 12:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With the automotive industry currently at major crossroads, no wonder carmakers are enlisting the assistance of just about every imaginative mind out there in a bid to select the correct trend. TED has always been about “ideas worth spreading...
Funny and Instructive Gearhead Has $5k to Convert Blown-Engine MINI Into an EV
30 Oct 2020, 10:42 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / There’s an urban legend in the United States (but not only) that MINIs are not exactly the most reliable cars out there. This could explain why Richard from the Rich Rebuilds YouTube channel managed to find a very cheap example with an allege...
2021 Porsche Cayenne PHEVs Have Greater Range, Starting Price of More Than €90k
30 Oct 2020, 09:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Time and again, Porsche reinvented itself exactly when it needed to. Right now, after seeing the success of the Cayenne and Macan SUVs, no one is going to dare question the company’s electrification strategy, which includes an ample range of ...
Another Global Recall for “Most” Polestar 2 EVs, This Time There Are Two Issues
30 Oct 2020, 08:55 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Polestar made its first European customers happy when the 2 finally arrived on the Old Continent back in July, with Sweden, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK joining China as the markets that received the electric vehicle. Others, such ...
This Lamborghini Aventador S “Fashion Car” Has an Exhibition Home in Tokyo
30 Oct 2020, 08:13 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While BMW’s Art Cars are among the best-known official works of the type, that doesn’t mean the Bavarian automaker holds exclusivity on the trend. And because we’re dealing with art – an act of deeply personal expression - t...
Mopar Is Factory-Baking Something Cool for Jeep in Honor of the 2020 SEMA360
29 Oct 2020, 14:06 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This year we are getting a SEMA show unlike any others – the virtual SEMA360. There’s no other way, not with the ongoing health crisis still raging around the world. But no worries, because automakers are still interested in showcasing ...
Kia's Luxurious Mohave / Borrego Will Turn Into Military Open-Top, Humvee-Style
29 Oct 2020, 13:32 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / If we look back into history, one thing is for sure – humanity likes combat. That helped it, on occasion, achieve greater standards of life, when it fought poverty, discrimination, hatred, and illness. On the other hand, the modern military a...
Ford Almost Ready to Give the eSprinter a Run For Its Battery With E-Transit EV
29 Oct 2020, 12:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Produced since way back in 1965 (just a year later than Ford’s legendary Mustang), the Transit is a global icon of the light commercial vehicle market. And, just like one of its biggest rivals – the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - it’s j...
Tuned Audi RSQ8 “POORUS” Takes On Lambo Urus and Tesla Model X, Annihilates Both
29 Oct 2020, 12:10 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We had to give away the result from the get-go because there’s an interesting twist to the RSQ8 versus Tesla Model X P100D Ludicrous story, and it’s not making a case for the California-based automaker. Still, it was quite predictable t...
Audi A6 Sport 45 TFSI Arrives as Belated 2021MY Entry Level Option, Adds 13HP
29 Oct 2020, 10:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Even the well-organized German automakers can sometimes be excused for being forgetful, if a new model that arrives a bit late is worth the customers' attention. Most likely, the new A6 Sport 45 TFSI will fall in this category, with added powe...
Airfield Tesla Model Y and S, 3, X Drag Race Has Predictable Raven Outcome
29 Oct 2020, 09:53 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ever since the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer revealed its most important models will use the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y names, the Internet went crazy with “S3XY” memes. That got us thinking that every vlogg...
Ford Edge Screen Grows Tall With Standard 12-Inch SYNC 4A and Other Smarties
29 Oct 2020, 08:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It was just a matter of time before Ford’s Mustang Mach-E cockpit layout spawned followers within the Blue Oval’s ranks, and here we have the 2021 Edge crossover already following suit. That’s great news, because the new infotainm...
Genesis Presents First Images of Its Second SUV, the Athletically Versatile GV70
29 Oct 2020, 08:17 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Because it’s a noticeably young company by automotive standards, Genesis has the privilege of delivering all-new models every time it sees fit. Thus, it has just presented the first exterior and interior images of the all-new GV70, their seco...
Bugatti's Secret Workshop Hosts an Exclusive Bolide Walkaround and Startup
28 Oct 2020, 15:17 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / No matter the rumors about its impending sale, or the fact that it lost the world’s fastest production car record, Bugatti is proving once more it’s still sitting on top of the automotive world. In track terms, at least, with the latest...
Hyundai's Smallest EV to Date Is a One-Seat Wooden 45 Designed for Younglings
28 Oct 2020, 14:08 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It’s adorable, has zero emissions, just the driver’s seat, a wooden construction, and Lilliputian dimensions. Being a mere 1,380 mm (54.33 in.) long, 810 mm (31.88 in.) wide, and 820 mm (32.28 in.) tall, no wonder “Hyundai’s...
Original 1966 Shelby GT350 Hertz Was Taken Racing, Still Has the Street Kicks
28 Oct 2020, 13:45 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The original Shelby Mustang is one of the most collectible vintage high-performance machines out there. It’s reaching incredible value among those with an eagle eye for savvy investments, so owning a very special version of this spiced up pon...