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Mircea Panait

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Personal motto:

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

Senior Contributor
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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.
Jaguar I-Pace Recalled in the US for Software Issue
Jaguar I-Pace Recalled in the US for Software Issue

29 Feb 2024, 20:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though I-Pace deliveries kicked off almost six years ago, the first electric vehicle from Jaguar continues to be recalled over a multitude of issues. The latest recall affects 2021 to 2024 models produced by contract manufacturer Magna Steyr b...

 
Watch This 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Experience a 4WD Issue on the Trail
Watch This 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road Experience a 4WD Issue on the Trail

29 Feb 2024, 18:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Fast Lane took delivery of a brand-new Tacoma on February 2. With merely 3,569 miles (5,744 kilometers) on the clock, the 2024 model year TRD Off-Road in question experienced a 4WD issue while off-roading in sub-zero weather. Following a lou...

 
Ford Recalls Maverick Hybrid Pickup Truck Due to Instrument Panel Cluster Software Issue
Ford Recalls Maverick Hybrid Pickup Truck Due to Instrument Panel Cluster Software Issue

29 Feb 2024, 17:33 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Available with either a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 engine or a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 hybrid setup, the Maverick is America's most affordable new truck and favorite small truck. Starting at $23,815 for the 2024 model year, the unibody...

 
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Shipments Halted Over Headlight Issue
2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Shipments Halted Over Headlight Issue

29 Feb 2024, 16:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Automotive News reported on February 23 that Ford Motor Company halted F-150 Lightning shipments on February 9 over a quality issue. According to Detroit Free Press, that issue concerns the electrical connections with the zero-emission pickup truck...

 
GM Recalls 2023 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon Over Software Issue Causing Phantom Braking
GM Recalls 2023 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon Over Software Issue Causing Phantom Braking

29 Feb 2024, 15:08 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The second most popular mid-size pickup truck in the United States of America has been recalled over emergency braking activating unexpectedly. The Chevrolet Colorado's GMC-branded sibling is – obviously enough – included in this r...

 
Jeep Grand Cherokee Recalled Over Lighting Issue
Jeep Grand Cherokee Recalled Over Lighting Issue

28 Feb 2024, 21:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Easily the most popular Jeep in the United States of America in terms of deliveries, the Grand Cherokee isn't without its faults. The first model year of the fifth generation, for example, is listed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin...

 
2025 Lamborghini Urus PHEV Spied Again, Will Replace ICE-Only Urus S and Urus Performante
2025 Lamborghini Urus PHEV Spied Again, Will Replace ICE-Only Urus S and Urus Performante

28 Feb 2024, 21:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The second half of 2024 will see Lamborghini discontinue three models, beginning with the Huracan. The Urus S and Urus Performante are on their way out as well, which means there will be no internal combustion-only vehicles beginning MY25. Spied...

 
Jeep Recalls 338,238 Grand Cherokee Models for Potential Steering Knuckle Separation
Jeep Recalls 338,238 Grand Cherokee Models for Potential Steering Knuckle Separation

28 Feb 2024, 20:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been recalled to the tune of 338,238 vehicles produced for the 2021 through 2023 model years in both two- and three-row specifications. FCA US LLC determined that said vehicles may have been produced with potentially dam...

 
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC EV Spied Winter Testing, Prototype Has Four-Wheel Steering
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC EV Spied Winter Testing, Prototype Has Four-Wheel Steering

28 Feb 2024, 18:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember when Stuttgart's favorite son announced that it would go fully electric by 2030 in markets where conditions allow? In light of many governments – especially in Europe – reevaluating their planned bans on the sale of new co...

 
Ram ProMaster Van Recalled Over Malfunctioning Seatbelt Warning System
Ram ProMaster Van Recalled Over Malfunctioning Seatbelt Warning System

28 Feb 2024, 17:45 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Better known as the Fiat Ducato across the pond, the Ram ProMaster full-size van has been hit with a safety recall. According to documents published by the NHTSA on Chrysler's behalf, seatbelt buckle assembly supplier Autoliv North America has...

 
Toyota Recalls 18,600 Vehicles Over Iffy Parking Assist ECU Software
Toyota Recalls 18,600 Vehicles Over Iffy Parking Assist ECU Software

28 Feb 2024, 16:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing has issued a safety recall for certain sedans and coupes equipped with the Panoramic View Monitor 360-degree camera system. Said vehicles may have been produced with bugged software for the parking assis...

 
2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro 82 kWh Updated With Torquier APP 550 Rear Electric Motor
2024 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro 82 kWh Updated With Torquier APP 550 Rear Electric Motor

27 Feb 2024, 23:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Volkswagen ID.4 accounted for 11.5 percent of the German automaker's total deliveries in the United States last year. The compact-sized crossover has received a few notable upgrades for 2024 to keep the sales momentum going, but alas, Volk...

 
Apple Car Allegedly Canceled, Project Titan Employees Tasked With Generative AI Projects
Apple Car Allegedly Canceled, Project Titan Employees Tasked With Generative AI Projects

27 Feb 2024, 21:25 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Valued 2.82 trillion dollars, the second-largest company in the world by market capitalization has reportedly canceled Project Titan. Better known as the Apple Car, said venture dates back to 2014. Heaven knows how many billions of dollars later...

 
BMW M3 Competition Drag Races BMW M850i xDrive, Somehow Manages To Win
BMW M3 Competition Drag Races BMW M850i xDrive, Somehow Manages To Win

27 Feb 2024, 19:56 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The M850i xDrive is often dismissed as the M8's lesser sibling, but even so, its punchy V8 and incredibly well-calibrated launch control make it a tremendously quick car in a drag race. Pictured on a small runway in Germany, the M850i xDrive i...

 
Porsche Identifies Seatbelt Automatic Locking Retractor Issue Affecting 911 Sports Car
Porsche Identifies Seatbelt Automatic Locking Retractor Issue Affecting 911 Sports Car

27 Feb 2024, 19:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Neunelfer has been hit with a safety recall in the United States to the tune of 910 vehicles produced for the 2023 model year. Said cars feature seatbelt automatic locking retractors that may deactivate earlier than intended, preventing the chi...

 
Toyota Recalls Camry Sedan Over Insufficiently Welded Head Restraint Brackets
Toyota Recalls Camry Sedan Over Insufficiently Welded Head Restraint Brackets

27 Feb 2024, 18:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Texas-based Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing has identified a potential defect affecting 4,212 units of the Camry. As per documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said vehicles may have been produced with...

 
Minivan Drag Race Pits the Honda Odyssey Against the Toyota Sienna and Kia Carnival
Minivan Drag Race Pits the Honda Odyssey Against the Toyota Sienna and Kia Carnival

27 Feb 2024, 16:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / There was a time when minivans were immensely popular in the United States, but alas, rising demand for sport utility vehicles rendered the minivan into a has-been. Three-row sport utility vehicles exacerbated the minivan's downfall, which exp...

 
Tesla Cybertruck Drag Races Hennessey Supercharged Corvette, Defeat Is Absolute
Tesla Cybertruck Drag Races Hennessey Supercharged Corvette, Defeat Is Absolute

27 Feb 2024, 15:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Although some may find it aesthetically repulsive, Tesla's long-awaited Cybertruck is a seriously fast machine. Cyberbeast is the moniker of the quickest and fastest version available, a three-motor land missile that needs 2.6 seconds to reach...

 
New McLaren Artura Spider Debuts Several Upgrades for the Artura Coupe
New McLaren Artura Spider Debuts Several Upgrades for the Artura Coupe

27 Feb 2024, 01:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The only direct rival to the Ferrari 296 has been refreshed a meager two years after the first Artura rolled off the assembly line in Woking. In addition to a plethora of upgrades, including a punchier twin-turbocharged V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain...

 
McLaren 765LT Drag Races 800-HP Eagle Talon, Someone Gets Walked
McLaren 765LT Drag Races 800-HP Eagle Talon, Someone Gets Walked

27 Feb 2024, 00:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / As implied, the 765LT is a McLaren 750S with a longer tail and slightly more power from the British automaker's well-known V8 engine. 765 designates metric horsepower, meaning 755 mechanical ones. A very rare breed, the 765LT was produced b...

 

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