Mircea Panait
20,326 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.
Used Car Dealers From NY Targeted for Selling Unfixed Recalled Vehicles
31 Jul 2014, 14:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Whoa! What's the matter with the auto industry these days? On one hand there's General Motors and its almost 30 million population of recalled vehicles and now we found out that NYC municipality is cooking up something for used car dealer...
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Facelift Spied Towing a Trailer
31 Jul 2014, 12:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Since it was introduced back in 2012, the mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by Mitsubishi has been met with good sales volumes and reviews from the motoring media. Although it still looks fresh, the Japanese manufacturer is currently hot weather ...
Tesla and Panasonic Partnered For the Gigafactory Battery Plant
31 Jul 2014, 11:41 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After a report was published by a large media corporation from Japan two days ago, Tesla Motors has officially confirmed that Panasonic joined the Gigafactory bandwagon. According to the agreement, Panasonic will manufacture and supply cylindrical ...
2015 Ford Falcon Ute Spotted Without Camouflage
31 Jul 2014, 10:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Slated to be officially revealed in Australia and New Zealand at the end of the current year, the 2015 Ford Falcon Ute has been spotted in a parking lot without any camo whatsoever. Compared to the Falcon Ute Mk II, the updated model has a little b...
Suzuki Verona Called In Due to Overheating DRL Module
31 Jul 2014, 09:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Suzuki informed that some of its Verona sedans are prone to catch fire. Also known as the Chevrolet Evanda in Eastern Europe and Daewoo Evanda / Magnus in other markets, the mid-size Suzuki sedans involved in this safety recall campaign have been m...
Fiat Recalls 500L Over Knee Airbags Deployment Issues
31 Jul 2014, 08:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Everybody loves the Fiat 500 city car, but its L, L Trekking and L Living mini MPV derivates haven't really cut the mustard since they were introduced. We're not necessarily referring to the looks, features, price or sales volume, but man...
Fiat Q2 Profit Takes a Dive Due to Disappointing Results in the Americas
30 Jul 2014, 18:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This isn't actually the best of moments for Fiat to report weak financial performances and disappointing operating profit. These second-quarter results won't go unnoticed by shareholders that will attend the Fiat-Chrysler merger meeting o...
2015 Kia Cadenza Adds New Tech and Visual Enhancements
30 Jul 2014, 17:59 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you're in the market for a full-size executive sedan but the BMW, Mercedes or Audi model in this segment is a little bit over your budget, then a good alternative is the Kia Cadenza. For the 2015 model year, the South Korean premium sedan o...
Hyundai Sonata Recalled Over Fragile Shift Cable
30 Jul 2014, 17:20 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Oh my! Just two days ago the NHTSA announced that the 2015 Hyundai Sonata needs more sturdy front brake calipers, the second recall after the sedan was previously called back over a faulty wiring harness. This time around, older cars are affected. ...
2015 Chevrolet SS Gets Automatic Parking Assist as Standard
30 Jul 2014, 16:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Good news! The updated Chevrolet SS is the first Chevy nameplate to get Automatic Parking Assist as standard. By coupling that to the new bits and bobs available on the 2015 model year, the ultimate sleeper vehicle is way more versatile than before...
Brabham-Cosworth Ford BT33 Formula 1 Car Heading to Auction
30 Jul 2014, 14:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Over the decades, some pretty interesting cars have competed in the world's highest tier motorsport. One of the most legendary single-seater designs is the Brabham-Cosworth Ford BT33, and Jack Brabham's own racer is going under the hammer...
Blown Chevy Camaro Does 8.63-Second Quarter Mile Run at 158 MPH
30 Jul 2014, 12:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Sold between 1993 and 2002, the fourth-gen Chevrolet Camaro is not the type of pony car to float your boat, not then, not now. It's ugly, plasticky and the F-body platform isn't a big success in terms of handling characteristics. However,...
IIHS Top Safety Pick+ Awarded to 2014 Chevrolet Volt
30 Jul 2014, 11:39 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / That + is what makes the difference between a really safe car and an average one based on the IIHS' crash test procedures. Fitted with the available Forward Collision Alert system, the 2014 Chevrolet Volt was the only model to earn the Top Saf...
2015 Range Rover Sport SVR Is the Fastest SUV Around the Nurburgring
30 Jul 2014, 09:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It may sound scarcely believable, but the hardcore version of the 2015 Range Rover Sport has recorded a mind-bending 8-minute 14-second lap on the grueling Nurburgring circuit in Germany. The fastest SUV around the Green Hell equaled the track reco...
2015 Lincoln MKC Introduces Bridge of Weir Deepsoft Leather
30 Jul 2014, 09:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The second all-new vehicle in the Lincoln brand's plan to introduce four new models by 2016 is a small premium crossover with a touch of luxury to it. Besides the potent engines and posh exterior, the Lincoln MKC's cabin is a nice place t...
The Simpsons to Feature Tesla's CEO in "The Musk Who Fell to Earth" Episode
30 Jul 2014, 08:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Al Jean, the executive producer of The Simpsons, has announced that an episode of the hit animated sitcom that depicts the middle class American lifestyle in a unique satirical way will feature a conflict between the CEO of Tesla Motors and Mr. Bur...
Tesla Gigafactory Nearing Green Light, Panasonic Joins In With Money & Tech
29 Jul 2014, 18:22 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Although it's still a mystery where Tesla will build its Gigafactory, we know that it will be somewhere in the United States and that Panasonic will chip in $1 billion worth of battery manufacturing solutions and state-of-the-art assembly mach...
Lancia in Limbo, Will Come Back With a Bang
29 Jul 2014, 17:45 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Most fans of the Italian manufacturer know that Sergio Marchionne is planning to reduce Lancia's lineup to a single model - the Ypsilon, which will be sold only in Italy. That might spell the legendary carmaker's demise at first glance, b...
Ferrari Prepping Electric Turbo Technology to Eliminate Turbo Lag & Lower Emissions
29 Jul 2014, 16:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / My, how times have changed in terms of forced induction. Ferrari has jumped the electrically-driven turbo bandwagon in order to fight low revs turbo lag, but Audi's next-generation Q7 SUV is also expected to offer this state-of-the-art force-f...
Inspired Autosport Cranks the 2014 SRT Viper to 700 Horsepower
29 Jul 2014, 15:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Holding a base MSRP of $102,485 and losing the horsepower race to the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat, the 2014 SRT Viper is in a bit of a limbo at the present moment. Very disappointing sales show the catastrophe's&n...