autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,660  ARTICLES

Staff Writer
editor photo
Once upon a time there was a little boy that didn't know his age but dreamed of reaching high in the sky alongside the absolute best aviators. He was passionate about reading books (action and Sci-Fi), grew up with many great authors and soon discovered the mirage of cinema.

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.
Land Rover Opens the Waiting List for Electric Range Rover 'a Bit' Ahead of Time
Land Rover Opens the Waiting List for Electric Range Rover 'a Bit' Ahead of Time

13 Dec 2023, 07:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The British automaker doesn't have the best track record when it comes to reliability. Still, they seem confident they can turn the tide with the new Range Rover Electric – and its (reported) upcoming sibling, the Range Rover Sport Elect...

 
The 2025 Dodge 'Changer' Is Both a 2-Door and Sedan, ICE and EV, Typo Perfectly Sums It Up
The 2025 Dodge 'Changer' Is Both a 2-Door and Sedan, ICE and EV, Typo Perfectly Sums It Up

12 Dec 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / We have known for a while that Stellantis is putting the Hemi V8-powered models in the lineup to rest. Now, the retirement is more than official – the 2025 Ram 1500 lineup doesn't have it, and Chrysler just produced its final 300C sedan....

 
Tuned AMG C 63 (V8) Drags Modded Challenger SRT Hellcat, Results Are Quite Unsettling
Tuned AMG C 63 (V8) Drags Modded Challenger SRT Hellcat, Results Are Quite Unsettling

12 Dec 2023, 14:41 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Nowadays, it's pretty sad that whenever we talk about a Mercedes-AMG C-Class, we have to expressly mention whether it has a V8 or a V6 under the hood. Luckily, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has no such issues. Of course, one is going...

 
Lamborghini Urus Performante Polizia Is Ready for Lightning-Quick Special Services
Lamborghini Urus Performante Polizia Is Ready for Lightning-Quick Special Services

12 Dec 2023, 11:58 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It has been a minute since we last talked about the Lamborghini Urus super-SUV – and that was just to let everyone know the Italian high-riding machine is the latest victim of the mighty Tesla Cybertruck. Sure, the comparison between a...

 
Resurrected Toyota MR2 Drops Iconic Sports Car Look in Favor of CGI Fastback Sedan Style
Resurrected Toyota MR2 Drops Iconic Sports Car Look in Favor of CGI Fastback Sedan Style

12 Dec 2023, 11:18 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Japanese automaker is having a blast this year – one that triggered a tidal wave of upgrades, refreshes, new models, and limited editions. But the novelties won't stop coming – including outside the real world. We are al...

 
Although Cheap, the Dacia Duster SUV Can Easily Turn Ritzy as a Renault 'Coupe'
Although Cheap, the Dacia Duster SUV Can Easily Turn Ritzy as a Renault 'Coupe'

12 Dec 2023, 09:56 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The subcompact crossover SUVs are starting to look cooler by the day – just look at the Opel Mokka, Jeep Avenger, MINI Countryman, or the recently introduced third-generation Dacia Duster. Produced by Romanian automaker Dacia, the litt...

 
2025 Toyota 4Runner Becomes a Fully-Fledged Hybrid Off-Roader in Unofficial CGI Video
2025 Toyota 4Runner Becomes a Fully-Fledged Hybrid Off-Roader in Unofficial CGI Video

12 Dec 2023, 08:31 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Japanese automaker is giving a little love this holiday season in America with a couple of personalized ads for Christmas – maybe they have finally ended the tidal wave of novelties for 2023. At least in the real world. It has been...

 
MINI Welcomes Third-Gen Countryman C and S in Australia, Starting From Around $33k
MINI Welcomes Third-Gen Countryman C and S in Australia, Starting From Around $33k

12 Dec 2023, 07:46 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The British automaker continues to spread its wings, and now the Land Down Under has access to the U25 third-generation Countryman subcompact crossover SUV – which marks a significant departure from the predecessors regarding styling. ...

 
2026 VW Scout SUV Arrives Early at the Digital EV Party to Spite R1S and Hummers
2026 VW Scout SUV Arrives Early at the Digital EV Party to Spite R1S and Hummers

11 Dec 2023, 23:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although it fights with Toyota for global supremacy, Volkswagen isn't a big player across a significant market – North America. However, it strives to change that. Adaptation is critical to survival – and Toyota is like a ch...

 
Unofficial Chevy Chevelle Revival Brings Old-School Muscle Car Attitude Back Into Fashion
Unofficial Chevy Chevelle Revival Brings Old-School Muscle Car Attitude Back Into Fashion

11 Dec 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / So, the Ford Mustang S650 is poised to dwell alone across the vastness of the American car market starting next year. But are GM fans going to let that slide? Probably not, even if only virtually. Cynical yet highly intelligent, the Ford Mot...

 
Tuned R35 Nissan GT-R Drags Modded BMW M5, Then Also Toys With a Feisty VW GTI
Tuned R35 Nissan GT-R Drags Modded BMW M5, Then Also Toys With a Feisty VW GTI

11 Dec 2023, 14:52 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While quite old and increasingly growing long in the tooth, the R35 Nissan GT-R remains a favorite platform for modifications precisely because of its generations-long availability. When a model's iteration remains three or four years o...

 
2024 Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition Costs a Staggering $189k+ in the United Kingdom
2024 Audi RS e-tron GT Ice Race Edition Costs a Staggering $189k+ in the United Kingdom

11 Dec 2023, 14:19 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / To many non-Audi fans, the Ingolstadt-based automaker strikes people as a company that doesn't like to stand out with bold claims – instead, it's a premium carmaker that lets its models do the talking. They do have their ...

 
Land Rover Showed a 'Force of Nature' With Range Rover Sport SV Edition One Miami
Land Rover Showed a 'Force of Nature' With Range Rover Sport SV Edition One Miami

11 Dec 2023, 13:40 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Each December, the ritzy Miami Art Week (6-10 December) hosts numerous international art fairs showcasing hundreds of galleries and possibly thousands of artists. Naturally, at least some of them manage to also connect with the premium side of the ...

 
Revived Subaru Baja Small Pickup Truck Doesn't Fear Mavericks Across Imagination Land
Revived Subaru Baja Small Pickup Truck Doesn't Fear Mavericks Across Imagination Land

11 Dec 2023, 10:02 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unlike its Japanese peers from Toyota, Honda, or Nissan, Subaru doesn't have nearly as many novelties across the crucial American car market. However, it's no slouch, either. More precisely, the only models titled 2023MYs are the $...

 
2025 Chevy Impala SS Comes Back to Life as a 2-Door Muscle Car in Fantasy Land
2025 Chevy Impala SS Comes Back to Life as a 2-Door Muscle Car in Fantasy Land

11 Dec 2023, 08:15 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Everyone and their mother know the American pony car landscape is changing forever, starting with 2024. Next year, there will be no more Dodge Charger and Challenger with V8s, possibly no more Challenger at all, and the Chevy Camaro is also ending ...

 
Reborn Buick Skylark Does a Toyota in US - Mates Envista With the BMW M4 Coupe
Reborn Buick Skylark Does a Toyota in US - Mates Envista With the BMW M4 Coupe

11 Dec 2023, 07:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unfortunately for old-school fans of General Motors, the options to buy passenger cars from them are shrinking as we speak. But that's only valid in the real world, actually. Chevrolet, for example, is preparing to wave goodbye to the s...

 
Dare I Say That Although Cool, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Is Not the Best Option
Dare I Say That Although Cool, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 Is Not the Best Option

10 Dec 2023, 16:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / If you are tired of debating whether or not the (in)famous W206-based Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance is the right plug-in hybrid downsized thing to do with the high-performance compact executive sedan and the upcoming E 63, Mercedes just present...

 
2025 GMC Savana EV Springs to Life From Imagination Land, Looks Ready for Big Road Trips
2025 GMC Savana EV Springs to Life From Imagination Land, Looks Ready for Big Road Trips

10 Dec 2023, 02:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although it's a niche manufacturer, GMC has a lot of models to show to the American audience. Some are better, some are worse, and some are EVs. Well known for its trucks and SUVs, GMC continues to represent a solution for anyone who wa...

 
Slammed Widebody CGI Corvette Restomod Features a Retractable Hardtop and Drop-Down Lights
Slammed Widebody CGI Corvette Restomod Features a Retractable Hardtop and Drop-Down Lights

9 Dec 2023, 23:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Today, only the S650 Ford Mustang is keeping the banner up for traditional pony and muscle cars, while the Dodge Charger is incurring a significant transformation, and the Chevy Camaro is going into retirement. These are the strange times we...

 
COPO Camaro Drags Tesla Model S Plaid Twice, Someone Gets Destroyed Every Time
COPO Camaro Drags Tesla Model S Plaid Twice, Someone Gets Destroyed Every Time

9 Dec 2023, 22:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Right now, everyone is hyped about the Tesla Cybertruck. Not just its edgy looks but everything else: the 48V architecture, the steering yoke, the stainless-steel body, the power, the range, and the prices of the Foundation Series. And then there a...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu