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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.
2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Successor Drops Hybridized V8 Muscle for Electric Motors
2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe Successor Drops Hybridized V8 Muscle for Electric Motors

26 Feb 2024, 23:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Back in January 2022, the good folks at Mercedes-Benz AG presented the Vision EQXX concept. Four months later, the AMG division revealed a restyled Vision EQXX in the form of the Vision AMG. Merc further confirmed that all newly launched vehicl...

 
Audi RS 6 Drag Races Mercedes-AMG A 45, Compact Hatchback Gets Smoked
Audi RS 6 Drag Races Mercedes-AMG A 45, Compact Hatchback Gets Smoked

26 Feb 2024, 21:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Not available in the United States, the A 45 is the world's most powerful hatchback. The 45 series kicked off with the W176 from 2013, which packed a massive 376 horsepower and 350 pound-feet (475 Nm) from a displacement of 2.0 liters. Availab...

 
After Switzerland and Sweden, the Cadillac Lyriq Electric SUV Is Coming to France
After Switzerland and Sweden, the Cadillac Lyriq Electric SUV Is Coming to France

26 Feb 2024, 21:10 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Lyriq is a hugely important vehicle for Cadillac. The brand's first venture into all-electric vehicles also happens to be the very first General Motors vehicle underpinned by the BEV3 platform. The Lyriq further spearheads the Detroit-base...

 
Tuned Honda Civic RS Drag Races Bone-Stock BMW M340i xDrive, Sadly Admits Defeat
Tuned Honda Civic RS Drag Races Bone-Stock BMW M340i xDrive, Sadly Admits Defeat

26 Feb 2024, 20:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Slotted just below the M3, the M340i xDrive is one seriously capable sedan. Not only does it pack a turbocharged sixer with more power at the crank that BMW says it produces on paper, but it's also seriously quick from a dig thanks to impeccab...

 
2025 Subaru Forester EV Reportedly Under Development, Electric Range Could Top 400 Miles
2025 Subaru Forester EV Reportedly Under Development, Electric Range Could Top 400 Miles

26 Feb 2024, 18:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Back in May 2023, the Subaru Corporation updated its electrification strategy with three new battery-electric vehicles. To be launched by 2027, the newcomers will include a three-row electric sport utility vehicle. Said crossover will be produced b...

 
Watch the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Clock 10.2 Seconds in the Quarter Mile
Watch the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Clock 10.2 Seconds in the Quarter Mile

26 Feb 2024, 17:07 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / DragTimes founder Brooks Weisblat has recently taken his almost stock Huracan Tecnica at the Bradenton Motorsports Park in Florida. The only upgrade over the factory specification comes in the form of stickier tires for the rear axle, which enabled...

 
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift Recalled Over Improperly Welded Accelerator Pedal
2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE Facelift Recalled Over Improperly Welded Accelerator Pedal

26 Feb 2024, 16:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A little over a year ago, Mercedes revealed the mid-cycle refresh of the GLE sport utility vehicle. No fewer than four safety recalls have been issued for the 2024 model since then, beginning with a recall for a software error affecting the ESP con...

 
BYD Seal U DM-i Revealed in Geneva, Euro Market Launch Due Q2 2024
BYD Seal U DM-i Revealed in Geneva, Euro Market Launch Due Q2 2024

26 Feb 2024, 14:59 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / BYD Auto was founded just over two decades ago. Currently the second largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world after Tesla, the Chinese juggernaut from Shenzhen has premiered the European specification of the Seal U DM-i at the Geneva Moto...

 
Mercedes Recalls Nearly 32,000 Vehicles Over Incorrectly Manufactured Fuse That May Fail
Mercedes Recalls Nearly 32,000 Vehicles Over Incorrectly Manufactured Fuse That May Fail

26 Feb 2024, 13:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Listed as a future vehicle on Merc's US website at the moment of reporting, the C 63 S E Performance has been hit with its first recall. In addition to the yet-unavailable sports sedan, the Stuttgart-based automaker has also recalled lesser ve...

 
Undisclosed Quality Issue Halts 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Shipments Nationwide
Undisclosed Quality Issue Halts 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Shipments Nationwide

24 Feb 2024, 20:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The F-150 Lightning may be America's favorite pickup truck, but alas, the Ford Motor Company hasn't delivered a single unit since February 9. As per a fresh report, Ford's quality boffins identified an issue that – sadly &ndash...

 
Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS Recalled for Software Issue Causing Engine To Stall
Mercedes-Benz GLE and GLS Recalled for Software Issue Causing Engine To Stall

24 Feb 2024, 19:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Modern automatic transmissions are very different from their predecessors. The amount of software that goes into a transmission control unit beggars belief, and we also have to remember that said control unit has to work in unison with others, incl...

 
Alfa Romeo Milano ICE Prototype Dons Twin Exhaust, Production Model Will Debut April 10
Alfa Romeo Milano ICE Prototype Dons Twin Exhaust, Production Model Will Debut April 10

24 Feb 2024, 03:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Alfa Romeo is a stalwart of the automotive industry. Rescued by the Italian government in the 1930s and then acquired by Fiat in the 1980s, the Biscione marque entered the Stellantis family back in January 2021. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the ...

 
Ford Canada Recalls Old Ranger Due to Incorrectly Installed Replacement Airbag Inflators
Ford Canada Recalls Old Ranger Due to Incorrectly Installed Replacement Airbag Inflators

24 Feb 2024, 02:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ford's third-gen Ranger was produced between the 1998 and 2011 model years. The infamous Takata airbag inflator saga forced the second-largest automaker in the United States of America to recall many of them, and the saga isn't over yet. ...

 
DCT-Equipped Renault Megane RS Trophy Drag Races Honda Civic Type R, Should've Stayed Put
DCT-Equipped Renault Megane RS Trophy Drag Races Honda Civic Type R, Should've Stayed Put

24 Feb 2024, 01:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Alternatively known as Renaultsport, the Renault Sport motorsport and performance division was founded in 1976. The French automaker phased it out at the end of 2023 in favor of the Alpine brand, which – as you're well aware by now &ndas...

 
2025 Audi RS e-tron GT Spied Testing With Porsche Brake Calipers
2025 Audi RS e-tron GT Spied Testing With Porsche Brake Calipers

24 Feb 2024, 00:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The carparazzi have recently spied the facelifted e-tron GT in two flavors and in two different locations: e-tron GT in Sweden and RS e-tron GT in Germany. Zooming in on the wheels of the Rennsport prototype, you'll notice a set of red brake c...

 
Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 Recalled for Improperly Adjusted Parking Brake
Dodge Challenger, Charger, and Chrysler 300 Recalled for Improperly Adjusted Parking Brake

23 Feb 2024, 22:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A small number of L-platform cars have been recalled by FCA US LLC for a safety concern. More specifically, the parking brake may have been improperly adjusted. These vehicles, therefore, may fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standar...

 
Hyundai Europe Discontinues Combustion-Engined i20 N and i30 N in Favor of Ioniq 5 N EV
Hyundai Europe Discontinues Combustion-Engined i20 N and i30 N in Favor of Ioniq 5 N EV

23 Feb 2024, 22:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Increasingly tough emission regulations are poised to make combustion-engined hot hatchbacks extinct in the Old Continent. One of the latest automakers to give in to said regulations is Hyundai, which confirmed the demise of the i20 N subcompact ha...

 
Honda Recalls the Odyssey and Acura RDX for Improperly Tightened Steering Box Assemblies
Honda Recalls the Odyssey and Acura RDX for Improperly Tightened Steering Box Assemblies

23 Feb 2024, 20:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Sharing its name with Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey has been hit with a recall. A few examples of Honda's minivan and a handful of RDXs were produced with improperly tightened steering gear box assemblies, with Honda and the Acura brand ...

 
The Mercedes Mythos Sub-Brand Will Debut in 2025 With AMG SL-Based Speedster Model
The Mercedes Mythos Sub-Brand Will Debut in 2025 With AMG SL-Based Speedster Model

23 Feb 2024, 20:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Two years ago, Mercedes confirmed yet another sub-brand that nobody asked for. Slotted above Maybach, the Mythos Series has been confirmed to drop in 2025. The sub-brand first car will be derived from the SL, but as opposed to the canvas-topped roa...

 
2024 Vauxhall Corsa Electric YES Edition Becomes UK's Most Affordable EV
2024 Vauxhall Corsa Electric YES Edition Becomes UK's Most Affordable EV

23 Feb 2024, 18:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new vehicle registrations in the United Kingdom rose to 1,903,054 last year. Of those, battery electric vehicles accounted for 314,687 registrations. That's 16.5 percent of the marke...

 

Stories by Mircea Panait