autoevolution
 

Aurel Niculescu

9,667  ARTICLES

Staff Writer
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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.
2025 Subaru BRAT Return Gets Featured Unofficially With Quirky Cues and PHEV Oomph
2025 Subaru BRAT Return Gets Featured Unofficially With Quirky Cues and PHEV Oomph

28 Aug 2023, 04:51 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The derogatory term 'spoiled brat' was something that no parent ever wanted to hear – even if they overindulged their children to the point that they started exhibiting behavioral problems. However, if you joined BRAT with Subaru, t...

 
What If Bugatti Partnered With McLaren Instead of Rimac? Would a McLaren Chiron Appear?
What If Bugatti Partnered With McLaren Instead of Rimac? Would a McLaren Chiron Appear?

27 Aug 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although most automakers present during California's Monterey Car Week came to the party with absolute novelties, some believed that being an exotic manufacturer sufficed to draw a crowd. McLaren Automotive was one of them because altho...

 
Given the Choice, Here's What I Would Take Home from Monterey Car Week's 2023 Edition
Given the Choice, Here's What I Would Take Home from Monterey Car Week's 2023 Edition

27 Aug 2023, 15:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Frankly, I don't need a 1,850-hp hybrid V12 Zenvo Aurora or any other hypercar, but the 800-hp Ford Mustang GTD or a Range Rover SV Carmel were decidedly alluring. Sadly, I don't have $300k or more lying in my pockets… August...

 
Virtual Artist Thinks the World of Ford Mustang GTD, Immediately Makes a Better Street GT3
Virtual Artist Thinks the World of Ford Mustang GTD, Immediately Makes a Better Street GT3

27 Aug 2023, 01:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Without even putting too much thought into it, the muscle car era as we know it is coming to an end. Luckily, almost everyone is chipping in to make it a memorable send-off. Aside from General Motors and its iconic Chevy Camaro, that is. Ins...

 
Imagined Alfa Romeo 'Montreal' Exudes a Casual Mix of Vintage and Modern Daringness
Imagined Alfa Romeo 'Montreal' Exudes a Casual Mix of Vintage and Modern Daringness

26 Aug 2023, 22:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Neglected for years but set for a significant resurgence under Stellantis, Alfa Romeo will unveil its latest creation on August 31, and it's hitting all the right tunes with its first supercar in over a decade and a half. So, what if the compa...

 
2024 Acura ZDX Type S Electric CUV Feels Way Subtler With Digital Tuning Upgrades
2024 Acura ZDX Type S Electric CUV Feels Way Subtler With Digital Tuning Upgrades

26 Aug 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The Monterey Car Week may be over, but the astonishing number of premieres featured during the various interlinked events still leaves us dumbfounded. Basically, the iconic California activities have taken the place of a regular car show and ...

 
Monterey Car Week 2023 Was Truly Memorable, But Also All Kinds of Outrageous, Frankly
Monterey Car Week 2023 Was Truly Memorable, But Also All Kinds of Outrageous, Frankly

26 Aug 2023, 15:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / In a world where inequality has taken way too many new forms because of ease of access to social media, a $30 million car flaunted at an automotive event feels kind of excessive, right? Right?! Oh, come on, don't say that we need to dare...

 
Nissan 'Fairlady' Z Sedan Concept Gets Envisioned as Potential Sentra Replacement
Nissan 'Fairlady' Z Sedan Concept Gets Envisioned as Potential Sentra Replacement

26 Aug 2023, 01:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unlike its bigger rival Toyota – which has had a tidal wave of new model introductions this year and even 'photobombed' the Monterey Car Week with its early-August introduction of the 2024 Land Cruiser – Nissan didn't hav...

 
This Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Coupe Is Merely Wishful Thinking, Still Looks Crazy Cool
This Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Coupe Is Merely Wishful Thinking, Still Looks Crazy Cool

25 Aug 2023, 22:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Just like many other carmakers, Cadillac had something juicy this August for automotive aficionados. And it was also big and nasty, given the New York City's Time Square takeover with the 2025 Escalade IQ – their first-ever full-size EV ...

 
2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Has a Deeply Fake Appearance in Redesign Presentation
2025 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Has a Deeply Fake Appearance in Redesign Presentation

25 Aug 2023, 21:04 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Although this year's Monterey Car Week was full of gorgeous or incredible novelties – from $30 million Rolls-Royce Droptails to the $300k 800+ hp Ford Mustang GTD, and many more, some people still only have (CGI) eyes for the Japanese au...

 
Toyota GR Spyder & Porsche 914 Feel Like Great Mid-Engine Proposals for a Collaboration
Toyota GR Spyder & Porsche 914 Feel Like Great Mid-Engine Proposals for a Collaboration

25 Aug 2023, 10:53 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Owing to its iconic legacy and its current crossover SUV sales might, Porsche doesn't really partner with too many of its rivals. Sure, there are always internal VW Group collaborations, but those don't really count, right? Porsche ...

 
2024 BMW 1 Series vs. 2025 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Is a Compact Meeting of the Digital Age
2024 BMW 1 Series vs. 2025 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Is a Compact Meeting of the Digital Age

25 Aug 2023, 10:20 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / With all the commotion around the automotive industry's stellar August 2023 – 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe, 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, plus all the great introductions from Monterey Car Week – it wasn't hard...

 
2025 Lamborghini Huracan Successor Gets the 'Unwrap' Treatment, Albeit Only in CGI
2025 Lamborghini Huracan Successor Gets the 'Unwrap' Treatment, Albeit Only in CGI

25 Aug 2023, 09:49 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / During the Monterey Car Week 2023, all the rank and fashion of the automotive industry were present and accounted for at the numerous California-based events. But, above all, they were on show at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering, and the Pebble Be...

 
ProCharger Claims Its C8 Chevy Corvette Convertible Systems and Kits Reach 1,000+ HP
ProCharger Claims Its C8 Chevy Corvette Convertible Systems and Kits Reach 1,000+ HP

25 Aug 2023, 09:07 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Kansas City, Missouri-based ProCharger Superchargers have worked hard for over two years (of engineering, testing, and refinement) to achieve some of the best C8 Corvette HTC designs out there. Just in case anyone needs a reminder about who ...

 
Lexus Expands Mid-Size RX Luxury Crossover Range With New F Sport Design Grade
Lexus Expands Mid-Size RX Luxury Crossover Range With New F Sport Design Grade

25 Aug 2023, 08:35 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / The premium Japanese automaker sure thinks the RX mid-size luxury crossover SUV needs some additional mojo to stay relevant - albeit only in the United Kingdom, where it just introduced an all-new trim variant. Lexus has made the rounds with...

 
Wait, Wait, There's Also a Bugatti Baby II 'Golden Era' That Mixes Art With Craftsmanship
Wait, Wait, There's Also a Bugatti Baby II 'Golden Era' That Mixes Art With Craftsmanship

25 Aug 2023, 07:54 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / It turns out that golden Bugattis are everywhere these days - and the artsy team of the exotic French manufacturer couldn't help but offer The Little Car Company some pointers into making a Baby II akin to their one-off Chiron Super Sport ...

 
Volkswagen Amarok Pickup Turns Into Camper Truck With Rooftop Tent and Hardtop
Volkswagen Amarok Pickup Turns Into Camper Truck With Rooftop Tent and Hardtop

25 Aug 2023, 07:23 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / I know it's still summer; before school starts, some of us still have planned vacations. But the automotive industry mostly dwindled and idled in June and July, while August became a full-blown work month. Think about it for a second &n...

 
Widebody Toyota GR Yaris 'Little Dragon' Feels Bad to the Bone in Fantasy Land
Widebody Toyota GR Yaris 'Little Dragon' Feels Bad to the Bone in Fantasy Land

24 Aug 2023, 21:00 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Can anyone dare to accuse Toyota of slacking around this year? At least, given the tidal wave of major introductions, not from the North American perspective. If we only cover the brightest stars, the US market was graced with the all-new Pr...

 
Refreshed 2024 Mercedes EQB Debuts Starry Grille, Plug & Charge Tech, New-Gen MBUX
Refreshed 2024 Mercedes EQB Debuts Starry Grille, Plug & Charge Tech, New-Gen MBUX

24 Aug 2023, 13:34 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Mercedes-EQ considers that their updated EQB crossover SUV with zero emissions is more intelligent and fresher thanks to all of their subtle enhancements that touch on the looks, the technology, and high-tech features. In case you thought th...

 
The Pontiac Challenger GTO Muscle Ute Clearly Doesn't Understand Its Detroit Allegiances
The Pontiac Challenger GTO Muscle Ute Clearly Doesn't Understand Its Detroit Allegiances

24 Aug 2023, 11:27 UTC · By: Aurel Niculescu / Unfortunately, it seems like we are approaching the dusk of the muscle car era as we know it – with thundering V8s and thumping exhaust notes. And yet, it seems that all significant nameplates are becoming more remarkable by the minute. Well,...

 

Stories by Aurel Niculescu