autoevolution
 

Mircea Panait

20,321  ARTICLES

Personal motto:

"If in doubt, flat out." - Colin McRae

Senior Contributor
editor photo
Little did he knew back then, but a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO is what sparked Mircea’s interest for cars when he was just a kid. Despite studying mathematics and informatics in high school and economics in university, Mircea turned his passion for all things automotive into a job.
 
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.
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe Laps Anneau du Rhin Faster Than Mercedes-AMG SL 63
2024 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe Laps Anneau du Rhin Faster Than Mercedes-AMG SL 63

15 Apr 2024, 18:08 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Not to be confused with the GT 4-Door Coupe, the GT Coupe is best described as the SL's hard-topped brother. The 2+2 sports tourer may weigh a lot more than Mercedes-AMG's first-generation GT, but 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive makes a world of ...

 
Maserati Debuts GranCabrio Folgore, Zero-Emission Convertible Packs 751 Horsepower
Maserati Debuts GranCabrio Folgore, Zero-Emission Convertible Packs 751 Horsepower

15 Apr 2024, 17:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The latest Maserati to receive the Italian automaker's three-motor electric powertrain is the GranCabrio. The Stellantis-owned marque originally promised up to 1,200 horses, but alas, maximum discharge capacity limitations result in 751 horsep...

 
2025 Bentley Continental GT Spied Inside and Out, W12 Makes Way for Hybrid V8
2025 Bentley Continental GT Spied Inside and Out, W12 Makes Way for Hybrid V8

15 Apr 2024, 15:56 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / 2024 is a turning point for Volkswagen Group-owned Bentley Motors Limited. In production since 2003, the Continental GT will drop its trademark W12 engine in favor of electrified powerplants. Introduced by the D2-generation Audi A8, the aforemen...

 
Supercharged 2024 Ford Mustang GT Makes Almost 800 Wheel Horsepower
Supercharged 2024 Ford Mustang GT Makes Almost 800 Wheel Horsepower

15 Apr 2024, 15:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Palm Beach Dyno big kahuna Ken Bjonnes recently tested a 2024 model year Ford Mustang on the dyno. The before and after beggars belief, but there's more to it than a sixth-generation Whipple supercharger. First and foremost, Ford quotes 480...

 
NHTSA Investigates 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Over Braking System Issue
NHTSA Investigates 2023 Cadillac Lyriq Over Braking System Issue

15 Apr 2024, 13:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The somewhat uninspiringly-named Lyriq has been hit with a probe from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the Office of Defects Investigation, the federal agency is aware of multiple field reports from owners alleging a...

 
2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA Continues Nurburgring Testing, Might Debut July 11
2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA Continues Nurburgring Testing, Might Debut July 11

14 Apr 2024, 01:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Many people, but especially Defender enthusiasts, bashed the L663 series for being a unibody rather than a body-on-frame sport utility vehicle. Certain voices also expressed worry in regard to the Defender getting too upmarket. It's alright to...

 
Spy Photos: German Police Pulls Over 2025 Lamborghini Urus PHEV at the Nurburgring
Spy Photos: German Police Pulls Over 2025 Lamborghini Urus PHEV at the Nurburgring

13 Apr 2024, 12:10 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Lamborghini continues testing the electrified replacement for the Urus S and Urus Performante. Pictured at the Nurburgring, the camouflaged Urus PHEV prototype got pulled over by the German police for – most likely – the lack of a front...

 
2024 Toyota Camry Drag Races Segment Rivals, Winner Needs 14.5 Seconds
2024 Toyota Camry Drag Races Segment Rivals, Winner Needs 14.5 Seconds

12 Apr 2024, 13:25 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Camry is a bit of a snoozefest because it was designed with three things in mind: affordability, reliability, and frugality. Equipped with a free-breathing V6 rather than a four-pot engine, TRD isn't as frugal as the Camry can be. However,...

 
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Dyno Testing Reveals 524 Wheel Horsepower
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Dyno Testing Reveals 524 Wheel Horsepower

12 Apr 2024, 12:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Roshan Poptani of BoostDistrict has recently strapped a 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray to a dynamometer. Before upgrading the small-block V8 with a pair of turbos, the big kahuna decided to show us how much of the crankshaft power gets to the wheels...

 
BMW's Twin-Turbo V8 Isn't Going Anywhere, New M5 Touring Shown at Dealer Meeting
BMW's Twin-Turbo V8 Isn't Going Anywhere, New M5 Touring Shown at Dealer Meeting

12 Apr 2024, 10:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / During a two-day dealer meeting in Las Vegas, the folks at BMW assured retailers that it's going to build what consumer want rather than what regulations dictate. A dealer source told Automotive News that BMW won't discontinue its twin-tu...

 
Hennessey Supercharged C8 Corvette Stingray Convertible Lays Down 572 Wheel Horsepower
Hennessey Supercharged C8 Corvette Stingray Convertible Lays Down 572 Wheel Horsepower

11 Apr 2024, 23:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Compatible with the 2020 through 2024 model year Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in either hardtop convertible or coupe form, the Hennessey H700 package gifts the mid-engined sports car's 6.2L small block with a high-flow centrifugal blower. In...

 
Aston Martin 5.2L Twin-Turbo V12 Will Go Hybrid, Says Lawrence Stroll
Aston Martin 5.2L Twin-Turbo V12 Will Go Hybrid, Says Lawrence Stroll

11 Apr 2024, 22:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember James May? In his own voice, good news! Back when former Mercedes-AMG chief executive officer Tobias Moers was running Aston Martin, the British automaker's 5.2L twin-turbo V12 was planned for discontinuation. The initial cut-off date...

 
Subaru Rolls Out 2025 Outback and Legacy With More Standard Kit for the Limited
Subaru Rolls Out 2025 Outback and Legacy With More Standard Kit for the Limited

11 Apr 2024, 20:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Subaru of America has just announced the prices and equipment changes for the 2025 model year Outback and Legacy. First and foremost, starting prices remain unchanged, meaning that Outback and Legacy start at $28,895 and $24,895 before destination....

 
Ford Recalls Bronco Sport and Escape for Injectors That May Crack and Leak Fuel
Ford Recalls Bronco Sport and Escape for Injectors That May Crack and Leak Fuel

11 Apr 2024, 19:00 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Not to be confused with the Ranger-twinned Bronco, the Bronco Sport is more Escape than Bronco. It comes with a 1.5L three-cylinder turbo as standard, an EcoBoost engine shared with the more affordable Escape. As per documents published on the NHTS...

 
Bugatti Wraps Up Bolide Testing, First Customer Deliveries Will Take Place This Year
Bugatti Wraps Up Bolide Testing, First Customer Deliveries Will Take Place This Year

11 Apr 2024, 18:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Bolide is not your usual Bugatti. Originally a concept, Bolide ultimately morphed into a limited-run track monster for the rich and famous. Closely related to the W16-engined Chiron, the go-faster machine started track testing in April 2023. Af...

 
Alfa Romeo Milano Would've Cost €10,000 More Had It Been Made in Italy Instead of Poland
Alfa Romeo Milano Would've Cost €10,000 More Had It Been Made in Italy Instead of Poland

11 Apr 2024, 16:50 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Stellantis big kahuna Carlos Tavares defends the automaker's decision to build the all-new Milano in Poland. According to the chief executive officer of the colossus that brings together Fiat Chrysler and PSA, the Alfa Romeo-branded crossover ...

 
2025 BMW M5 Sedan and M5 Touring Sure Like Drifting on a Frozen Lake
2025 BMW M5 Sedan and M5 Touring Sure Like Drifting on a Frozen Lake

11 Apr 2024, 14:56 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The F90 will be replaced this year with a plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8 sedan. Codenamed G90, the newcomer will be joined by a station wagon that – believe it or not – will be sold in the US as well. BMW has recently published a video...

 
Maserati Teases New EV, Could It Be GranCabrio Folgore?
Maserati Teases New EV, Could It Be GranCabrio Folgore?

11 Apr 2024, 00:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Maserati prepares to reveal something on April 15 at 8:00 pm CEST. As to what said vehicle is, the Italian automaker has provided a single clue. According to the video attached below, the newcomer is a Folgore, meaning that it's electric. S...

 
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan Flaunts Revised Styling, Larger Battery, New Features
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan Flaunts Revised Styling, Larger Battery, New Features

10 Apr 2024, 23:07 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Pompously described as being the S-Class of electric vehicles, the EQS Sedan proved a commercial flop. In the United States, for example, Merc delivered 6,688 units last year, which is a drop of minus 40.8 percent compared to 2022. There are man...

 
Lamborghini's Forthcoming Huracan Replacement Spied Up Close, Might Be Called Temerario
Lamborghini's Forthcoming Huracan Replacement Spied Up Close, Might Be Called Temerario

10 Apr 2024, 19:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / 2024 is the final year of the Huracan, which rolled out in 2014 as the replacement for the commercially successful Gallardo. As opposed to 14,022 units produced over the span of 10 years, the Huracan clocked over 25,000 sales through January 2024. ...

 

Stories by Mircea Panait