Mircea Panait
20,321 ARTICLES
Personal motto:
"If in doubt, flat out." - Colin McRae
Interning for Top Gear was his first foray in automotive journalism, and not long after that, a full-time position was opened for Mircea to seal the deal. Just about three years later, autoevolution became his new home.
Especially interested in American ponies and muscle cars, Mircea also finds the Japanese domestic market appealing thanks to the quirkiness of kei cars. Full-size pickups like the Ram 1500 and off-roaders such as the Ford Ranger Raptor and Jeep Gladiator Rubicon are much to his liking as well.
A self-described master of pasta and an avid CCG player, Mircea’s past-time activities include playing his Epiphone Les Paul Special Vintage Edition electric guitar, discovering the wonders of the Carpathian mountains by foot, and driving to the Black Sea to get a well-deserved tan.
2015 Cadillac Escalade Receives Hennessey Supercharged Treatment
23 Apr 2014, 10:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Texas-based tuner Hennessey Performance had a go at modifying the latest generation Escalade. With a starting price tag of $15,900 (€11,486 at current rates), the HPE550 package will get you a power bump of 137 horsepower and 86 lb-ft of torqu...
NHTSA Investigates 60,000 '14 Chevrolet Impala Sedans Over Braking Issue
23 Apr 2014, 09:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Following a single report of "inappropriate activation of the emergency braking system", the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started preliminary investigations in order to find out if this is a solitary case or all 2014MY I...
Ford Fiesta ST-3: Meet the New Boss, Same As the Old Boss
23 Apr 2014, 08:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The quirky Fiesta ST just got a new range-topping version, which costs a hefty £19,250 ($32,364 or €23,424 at current rates) in the United Kingdom. Regrettably for the hot hatch enthusiast, the ST-3 doesn't get a performance bump...
All 500 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28s Have Sold Out
22 Apr 2014, 17:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Each and every example of the 2014 Camaro Z/28 has been spoken for according to Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser. While certain people were too busy whining about the $75,000 price tag, Chevrolet decided it will build 2,500 units of the 2015 mo...
Defective Ignition Switches Persuade GM to Restructure its Global Engineering Division
22 Apr 2014, 16:43 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Addressing the functional safety and compliance in its vehicles, General Motors announced it will split its Global Engineering organization. In order to wash away the sins of the faulty ignition switch recall saga, GM will form two new divisions: G...
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Introduced at Beijing Auto Show · Live Photos
22 Apr 2014, 16:00 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The much-anticipated all-new Chevy Cruze has been officially unveiled by General Motor's Chinese joint venture partner at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show. Featuring a clean-sheet design and brand-new architecture, the 2016 Cruze was developed by GM...
Woman Donates 40th Anniversary Corvette to the National Corvette Museum
22 Apr 2014, 14:41 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In order to replace the 40th Anniversary Ruby Red Chevrolet Corvette damaged in the sinkhole accident in February, a Kentucky woman donated her prized car to the National Corvette Museum. The special-edition convertible Corvette has been purchas...
Peugeot Boxer Van Gets Nip and Tuck Job
22 Apr 2014, 13:40 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Sporting a redesigned front fascia and minor cabin upgrades, the French automaker's workhorse is now more refined than ever before. Aesthetic improvements aside, the facelifted Peugeot Boxer also gets a strengthened body structure and slightly...
"Need for Speed" Ford Mustang Raises $300,000 for Charity
22 Apr 2014, 12:21 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you're a serious petrolhead, then you certainly know the custom 2013 Ford Mustang GT featured in the blockbuster movie "Need for Speed". That very car was sold by the Blue Oval for $300,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Auction Company&#...
2015 Ford Mustang GT Is the Perfect Ride for Burnout Junkies
22 Apr 2014, 11:38 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Just like the stationary burnout a drag racer needs to perform in order to warm the rear tires for maximum grip off the line, Ford engineers equipped the 2015 Mustang with an electronic gizmo that does virtually the same thing at the touch of a but...
Jeep Debuts Four Concepts at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show
22 Apr 2014, 10:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Two special edition Cherokees, a posh Wrangler and a unique interpretation of the all-new 2015 Renegade are the weapons of choice the Jeep brand selected to unveil at the 13th Beijing International Auto Show. The quartet takes production models ...
Ford Unveils All-New Escort and Everest Concept at 2014 Beijing Auto Show · Live Photos
22 Apr 2014, 09:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The 13th Beijing International Automobile Exhibition marks the global debut of Ford's long-awaited Escort compact sedan, as well as the unveiling of the Everest Concept. The Escort will join the company's best-selling Focus to provide mor...
Lincoln MKX Concept Exposed at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show · Video
21 Apr 2014, 07:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After the Blue Oval officially introduced the Lincoln brand in China on April 17, Ford’s luxury arm unveiled the MKX Concept at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show. Lincoln’s first ever concept premiered outside the United States hints at the Am...
100 Years of Dodge Muscle and Wisdom
20 Apr 2014, 05:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / We've all been there, interrupted by annoying ads when we want to watch our favorite videos on YouTube. However, if all commercials were as cool as this one Dodge came up with for its 100th anniversary, the Internet would be a much better plac...
Get Your Kicks the Chevrolet Super Sport Way
19 Apr 2014, 14:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Meet Mark Lundquist. Even though he looks like your typical friendly senior neighbor, there's nothing typical about what's lying in his garage. During his high school years, Mark worked at Standard Oil gas station, filling up the tan...
Chevrolet Reveals the Latest Generation of Autobots
19 Apr 2014, 12:38 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The General Motors subsidiary once again teamed up with director Michael Bay by providing a new generation of four-wheel Autobots for the upcoming "Transformers: Age of Extinction" movie. The fourth installment of the saga will come to...
Jaguar Says Goodbye to the XK with Final Fifty Limited Edition
18 Apr 2014, 17:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The British car manufacturer announced yesterday evening at the New York International Auto Show that it will send off the XK with a limited-run edition dubbed Final Fifty. As the name suggests, only 50 units will be made. More exactly, the fina...
Mopar Announces 100+ Accessories for 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger
18 Apr 2014, 15:52 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A day after Dodge officially unveiled the 2015MY Charger and Challenger at the New York International Auto Show, Mopar announced it will develop more than 100 design accessories and performance parts for both models. Fresh off the launch of the ...
How the Mustang Evolved in the Last 50 Years
18 Apr 2014, 13:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Yesterday, the original pony car turned 50 years old since it was first unveiled at the 1964 New York World Fair. To celebrate this grand feat, the Blue Oval displayed 95 examples of the breed (including the all-new 2015 model) in front of the Unis...
Morgan Introduces the Limited Edition Plus 8 Speedster
18 Apr 2014, 11:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Combining aircraft industry technology with quintessentially British craftsmanship, the Plus 8 is one of the core models in Morgan's current lineup. To celebrate 100 years in the business of vehicle manufacturing, the British carmaker announce...