autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,661  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.
Unofficial Nissan Xander Proposes Modular EV Truck Design to Fight Tesla Cybertruck
Unofficial Nissan Xander Proposes Modular EV Truck Design to Fight Tesla Cybertruck

31 Oct 2023, 09:09 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The last time we heard anything about Nissan and its American pickup truck exploits, things could have been better for the mid-size Frontier and quite disastrous for the full-size Titan and Titan XD. Following the release of the Q3 sales rep...

 
Ram Dakota Jumps Out of Fantasy Land: Could It Be the Perfect Truck for Belvidere?
Ram Dakota Jumps Out of Fantasy Land: Could It Be the Perfect Truck for Belvidere?

31 Oct 2023, 07:25 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Anyone involved with the American automotive industry knows about the deals with the Big Detroit Three made by UAW to end part of the strikes. For example, Stellantis just had a tentative agreement with the union, and good news is pouring in. ...

 
2025 Toyota Hilux HD Meets All-New 2025 Honda Ridgeline HD in Fantasy Land, Not the US
2025 Toyota Hilux HD Meets All-New 2025 Honda Ridgeline HD in Fantasy Land, Not the US

30 Oct 2023, 22:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / All over the automotive world, crossovers plus SUVs plus trucks equals a lot of greenbacks and love. Meanwhile, passenger cars are falling out of favor, especially in places like North America. Few automakers dare to keep their passenger car...

 
Tesla Model S Plaid Drags Hellcat and Redeye Dodges, Camaro, and Mustang. Who Wins?
Tesla Model S Plaid Drags Hellcat and Redeye Dodges, Camaro, and Mustang. Who Wins?

30 Oct 2023, 14:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The owner of the Tesla Plaid Channel promises new Model S Plaid races every week and, so far, has lived up to the promise... and then some more. In the latest episode of his quarter-mile drag racing series at Bradenton Motorsports Park, he too...

 
Hypothetical 2025 Toyota Stout Reinvention Looks So Ruggedly Cheap yet Handsome
Hypothetical 2025 Toyota Stout Reinvention Looks So Ruggedly Cheap yet Handsome

30 Oct 2023, 12:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although few automakers might have believed the US compact pickup truck sector had any chance of revival not long ago, the truth is those who dared also reaped the benefits. Or at least some of them did, anyway. When you think about America ...

 
Ferrari 296 Challenge Drops PHEV to Shed Weight, Packs a Superior, Record 690-HP V6
Ferrari 296 Challenge Drops PHEV to Shed Weight, Packs a Superior, Record 690-HP V6

30 Oct 2023, 11:46 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Italian automaker basically reveals its real 'feelings' about the hybrid powertrain of the Ferrari 296 introduced in 2021: it's too bulky for track activities like the 2024 season of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli! Th...

 
2025 Subaru BRAT Revival Exhibits a Daring Virtual Design and Intrepid $23k MSRP
2025 Subaru BRAT Revival Exhibits a Daring Virtual Design and Intrepid $23k MSRP

30 Oct 2023, 10:23 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The ongoing inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show (press days were October 25 and 26, followed by an invitation-only day and general audience access from October 28 to November 5) clearly shows that – when everyone unites, great things...

 
Ram Trucks Unleashes the 2024 TRX 6.2L Supercharged V8 - Final Edition in Europe, Too
Ram Trucks Unleashes the 2024 TRX 6.2L Supercharged V8 - Final Edition in Europe, Too

30 Oct 2023, 08:09 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Ram Trucks announced the 1500 TRX Final Edition at home in America as a proper send-off to its iconic 6.2-liter supercharged HEMI V8 back in August with a starting price of almost $120k when you factor in the $1,995 destination fee to the $117,625 ...

 
Mazda's Iconic SP Concept Morphs Into a Production-Ready NE Miata MX-5: Do We Like It?
Mazda's Iconic SP Concept Morphs Into a Production-Ready NE Miata MX-5: Do We Like It?

30 Oct 2023, 07:29 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While we are fast approaching Halloween, over in Japan, there's still time for a different kind of feast – an automotive one. Over there, all the 'saints' are present too, at the inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show. ...

 
Toyota's Vision Nailed Inaugural Participation at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show
Toyota's Vision Nailed Inaugural Participation at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show

29 Oct 2023, 16:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / While everyone around them is braking EV adoption because they think ICE-enabled 'powah' is not dead yet, Toyota dares to venture beyond our wildest dreams with its latest series of concepts. Formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show ...

 
All-New, Eighth-Gen 2025 Lexus ES Matures Into a Swanky Sedan, Albeit Only in CGI
All-New, Eighth-Gen 2025 Lexus ES Matures Into a Swanky Sedan, Albeit Only in CGI

29 Oct 2023, 02:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota is currently busy with the ongoing inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show, and its two mainstay brands – the namesake Toyota and the luxurious Lexus – are trying to steal the red carpet's spotlight at every corner of t...

 
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Mini Still Haunts Fantasy Land, Irrespective of the Land Hopper
2025 Toyota Land Cruiser Mini Still Haunts Fantasy Land, Irrespective of the Land Hopper

28 Oct 2023, 22:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Japanese automaker is currently preoccupied with setting the future of its namesake and luxury division's future in stone – all taking place at the inaugural edition of the Japan Mobility Show. Formerly known as the Tokyo Moto...

 
Fresh 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Also Gets a Few Subtle Updates Across Fantasy Land
Fresh 2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Also Gets a Few Subtle Updates Across Fantasy Land

28 Oct 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Honda's iconic Civic nameplate has been around for more than half a century as the original subcompact car debuted in 1972. It quickly grew into a larger compact model starting in the 2000s and now is already in its eleventh generation. ...

 
JMS, Thank You for Giving Us Mazda's Iconic SP and Honda's Prelude, I Love Both
JMS, Thank You for Giving Us Mazda's Iconic SP and Honda's Prelude, I Love Both

28 Oct 2023, 15:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unfortunately, I have yet to determine if Honda and Mazda intend to put these two prototypes into series production or if they are just image vectors designed to support JAMA's bid to reinvent the former Tokyo Motor Show into the novel Japan M...

 
2025 Toyota GR Corolla Gains Virtual 'Ultimate' Goodies, Also Sports a Sedan Vibe
2025 Toyota GR Corolla Gains Virtual 'Ultimate' Goodies, Also Sports a Sedan Vibe

28 Oct 2023, 01:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Japanese automaker is pretty busy right now as it just unleashed most 2024 model year updates across the North American market – complete with the returning GR Corolla Circuit Edition alongside the GR86 Trueno and GR Supra 45th Anniversar...

 
All-New, Reborn Toyota MR2 GR Joins the Mid-Engine Party With Help From CGI Masters
All-New, Reborn Toyota MR2 GR Joins the Mid-Engine Party With Help From CGI Masters

27 Oct 2023, 22:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Toyota is currently basking in the spotlight of the inaugural Japan Mobility Show's 2023 edition – and it's clear that the event formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show has not overstayed its welcome. All Japanese automakers h...

 
Bugatti Centurion SUV Feels Quite Authentic, Sadly It's Just a Dream at the Moment
Bugatti Centurion SUV Feels Quite Authentic, Sadly It's Just a Dream at the Moment

27 Oct 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Have you seen the latest concept cars featured at the ongoing inaugural edition of the 2023 Japan Mobility Show (formerly known as Tokyo Motor Show)? Yep, they're all of the crossover, SUV, and truck variety with a decidedly clear (BEV) fully ...

 
Does the Honda Prelude Concept Look Even Better in CGI Production Form or Tuned?
Does the Honda Prelude Concept Look Even Better in CGI Production Form or Tuned?

27 Oct 2023, 20:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Of course, no one really expected the highly lucrative and imaginative realm of digital car content creators to stand still and not take a jab at Honda's reinvented Prelude, right? Everyone in the automotive industry who loves JDM vehicl...

 
Would a 2025 Hyundai 'Grand' Santa Fe Threaten the Grand Highlander or Defender 130?
Would a 2025 Hyundai 'Grand' Santa Fe Threaten the Grand Highlander or Defender 130?

27 Oct 2023, 08:59 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / This summer, August, was quite extraordinary for the automotive industry. Over just four weeks, Toyota presented the all-new 2024 Land Cruiser worldwide, Cadillac unveiled the 2025 Escalade IQ, and the Monterey Car Week proved that traditional auto...

 
2025 Toyota Sequoia Full-Size SUV Receives a Truly Stylish Design Makeover, Albeit in CGI
2025 Toyota Sequoia Full-Size SUV Receives a Truly Stylish Design Makeover, Albeit in CGI

27 Oct 2023, 08:17 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / After the J200 full-size Toyota Land Cruiser was retired from the North American market in 2020, there was obviously an empty space in the lineup where an off-road-focused big SUV should have been. Luckily, the Japanese automaker kicked off the rei...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu