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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.
2024 Mazda MX-5 ND3 Pricing Announced for the US Market, Base Spec Priced at $28,985
2024 Mazda MX-5 ND3 Pricing Announced for the US Market, Base Spec Priced at $28,985

25 Jan 2024, 22:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Codenamed ND, the fourth-generation Mazda MX-5 received a significant update in 2018 for the 2019 model year. The subsequent ND3 was revealed in October 2023 as a 2024 model with revised styling, an upgraded infotainment system, an asymmetric limit...

 
Mazda Recalls CX-90 SUVs Over Steering Gear Assembly Issue
Mazda Recalls CX-90 SUVs Over Steering Gear Assembly Issue

25 Jan 2024, 21:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / 43,752 examples of the 2024 Mazda CX-90 have been recalled by Mazda North American Operations. Their problem is the spring engaging the worm gear in the steering gear assembly. In the worst-case scenario, the subject vehicles may experience a sudde...

 
2025 Chevrolet Silverado HD Lineup Welcomes Trail Boss Off-Road Package
2025 Chevrolet Silverado HD Lineup Welcomes Trail Boss Off-Road Package

24 Jan 2024, 23:20 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Refreshed for the 2024 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado HD prepares to enter the 2025 model year. The biggest change over 2024 is the Silverado HD Trail Boss, an off-road package that can be had with either the L8T 6.6-liter gasoline V8 or the L...

 
New Alfa Romeo Milano Will Debut April 10, Final Development Testing Is Underway
New Alfa Romeo Milano Will Debut April 10, Final Development Testing Is Underway

24 Jan 2024, 21:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember the rear-biased 75? Over in the United States market, Alfa Romeo advertised the compact executive sedan as the Milano. This nameplate will be revived on April 10 for a B-segment crossover, namely Alfa Romeo's first all-electric model....

 
2025 Lamborghini LB63x Plug-In Hybrid V8 Supercar Spied in Sant'Agata Bolognese
2025 Lamborghini LB63x Plug-In Hybrid V8 Supercar Spied in Sant'Agata Bolognese

24 Jan 2024, 20:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Revealed in December 2013, the Gallardo-replacing Huracan is Lamborghini's most successful mid-engine production model to date. In excess of 25,000 examples of the breed have been produced to date, but alas, the Huracan may not reach 30,000 de...

 
2024 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door Now Available With Xtreme 35 Tire Package
2024 Jeep Wrangler 2-Door Now Available With Xtreme 35 Tire Package

24 Jan 2024, 20:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Jeep refreshed the JL-generation Wrangler in April 2023 for the 2024 model year. Back then, Jeep said that only four-door versions would receive the Xtreme 35 Tire Package. But curiously enough, the Stellantis-owned automaker changed its mind. P...

 
New Lamborghini Urus PHEV Spied Testing With Rather Weird Camouflage
New Lamborghini Urus PHEV Spied Testing With Rather Weird Camouflage

24 Jan 2024, 19:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / 2024 will be the final year of purely internal combustion vehicles at Lamborghini. The Huracan's replacement will switch to a plug-in hybrid V8 of the twin-turbo variety, whereas the V8-only Urus S and Urus Performante will be discontinued for...

 
Ford Recalls 1.9 Million Explorer Sport Utility Vehicles Over Detaching A-Pillar Trim
Ford Recalls 1.9 Million Explorer Sport Utility Vehicles Over Detaching A-Pillar Trim

24 Jan 2024, 17:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Ford Motor Company ended 2023 with no fewer than 58 recalls and 6.1 million vehicles recalled in the US market. As if having the most recalls of any vehicle manufacturer in the US for the third year straight wasn't bad enough, the Dearborn...

 
Morgan Recalls Super 3 Over Improperly Welded Brake Pedal Box Housing
Morgan Recalls Super 3 Over Improperly Welded Brake Pedal Box Housing

23 Jan 2024, 21:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Morgan Motor Company returned to the United States market in 2023 with the Super 3, a.k.a. the replacement of the 3-Wheeler. Deliveries kicked off in the latter half of 2023, and Morgan has already issued a recall for 62 of those vehicles. Acco...

 
2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W214 Sedan Gets US Visa, Costs $5,550 More Than 2023 Model
2024 Mercedes-Benz E-Class W214 Sedan Gets US Visa, Costs $5,550 More Than 2023 Model

23 Jan 2024, 20:07 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Revealed with much pomp in April 2023 for the 2024 model year, the W214 E-Class will hit arrive in American showrooms with a starting price of $62,300 for the E 350 4MATIC. While it may cost $5,550 more than its predecessor, there is a catch. Ac...

 
Kia Recalls Sportage Crossovers and Carnival Minivans for Detaching Roof Moldings
Kia Recalls Sportage Crossovers and Carnival Minivans for Detaching Roof Moldings

23 Jan 2024, 19:08 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In September 2023, during a review of field reports, Kia identified an increasing number of complaints alleging loose or detached roof moldings in Sportage crossovers and Carnival minivans. Kia North America Safety Office shared the available infor...

 
Land Rover Recalls Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Over Rearview Camera Issue
Land Rover Recalls Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Over Rearview Camera Issue

23 Jan 2024, 17:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Jaguar Land Rover North America has issued a safety recall comprising 58,729 units of the 2018 to 2022 model year Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. More specifically, the Brits have recalled SUVs equipped with the Surround Camera System. Back i...

 
New Audi Q9 Poses for the Camera, Looks Massive
New Audi Q9 Poses for the Camera, Looks Massive

22 Jan 2024, 23:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Just over five meters in length, the Audi Q7 is a fairly large sport utility vehicle. But as it happens, the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS are larger still. Given these circumstances, Audi is developing a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle of it...

 
Jeep Wagoneer S Confirmed for Australian Market in 2026, Electric SUV Packs 600 HP
Jeep Wagoneer S Confirmed for Australian Market in 2026, Electric SUV Packs 600 HP

22 Jan 2024, 21:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Revealed in September 2022 in the form of a near-production concept, Jeep's first electric vehicle intended for global markets will become available to order in the US in the second half of 2024. Come 2026, the Wagoneer S will cross the Pacifi...

 
2026 Porsche Cayenne EV Spied, Coming Late 2025
2026 Porsche Cayenne EV Spied, Coming Late 2025

22 Jan 2024, 20:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Porsche's zero-emission plans are rather simple. Over 80 percent of the German automaker's production output will be fully electric in 2030, or so claims big kahuna Oliver Blume. It's widely believed the 911 will soldier on with inte...

 
Tesla Model 3 Drag Races Ferrari 488, Internal Combustion Loyalists Won't Like How It Ends
Tesla Model 3 Drag Races Ferrari 488, Internal Combustion Loyalists Won't Like How It Ends

22 Jan 2024, 18:30 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Tang from CSL AutoTime is back with another exciting racing video. For this internal combustion engine versus electric propulsion showdown, he picked the Ferrari 488 GTB and the pre-facelift Tesla Model 3 Performance. Obviously enough, these vehicl...

 
2025 Buick Enclave Teased With Wildcat EV Concept Design Cues, Will Get 2.5L Turbo Engine
2025 Buick Enclave Teased With Wildcat EV Concept Design Cues, Will Get 2.5L Turbo Engine

22 Jan 2024, 17:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Back in June 2022, the folks at Buick revealed the Wildcat EV concept. You can think of it as the blueprint of Buick's new design language, which carried over to the Envista, Envision, and Encore GX. The next Buick to adopt said lang...

 
BMW M3 Competition xDrive Races Audi RS 6 Avant, Prepare To Be Surprised
BMW M3 Competition xDrive Races Audi RS 6 Avant, Prepare To Be Surprised

22 Jan 2024, 16:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Initially powered by a four-cylinder mill, the M3 leveled up to six cylinders, then eight, after which the compact executive sedan downsized to a sixer. Similar to the F80, the G80 features a six-cylinder lump as well. But as opposed to its predece...

 
Porsche 911 vs Ferrari 296 vs Lambo Huracan vs McLaren 750S Drag Race Is Really Close
Porsche 911 vs Ferrari 296 vs Lambo Huracan vs McLaren 750S Drag Race Is Really Close

22 Jan 2024, 15:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The folks at carwow have raced no fewer than four supercars abreast, with said vehicles packing anything between six and ten cylinders. On the flip side, the supercar with the smallest engine of the bunch also happens to be the most powerful. En...

 
Crank It Up to 12: Every V12 Production Vehicle Available to Buy New in 2024
Crank It Up to 12: Every V12 Production Vehicle Available to Buy New in 2024

22 Jan 2024, 00:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The V12 is automotive royalty, a setup where two banks featuring six cylinders each come together into a V configuration. Putney Motor Works of London is widely credited as being the company that gave us the first-ever V12 in the form of an 18.4-li...

 

Stories by Mircea Panait