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.
Land Rover Discovery Sport Confirmed with Seating for Seven Passengers
29 Jul 2014, 14:45 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Brits from Land Rover are dropping further Discovery Sport hints, with the latest informing that the all-new SUV remains true to the family by featuring a third row of seats as standard. This camo wrap shows clearly that legroom will be pretty ...
London Clean-Air Proposals May Affect Owners of Diesel-Powered Vehicles
29 Jul 2014, 13:50 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Most London citizens know Mayor Boris Johnson. He replaced Ken Livingstone back in 2008 and even dropped a 1 minute 57.4-second lap on a very wet Top Gear test track in the old Chevrolet Lacetti sedan. That Boris is waging war on diesel cars with a...
Here's the China-Only Cadillac ATS-L
29 Jul 2014, 12:54 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / As a general rule, the Chinese like plenty of legroom in the rear of their cars. That's why premium manufacturers such as Audi and BMW offer long wheelbase variants of the A4 and 3 Series in the world's biggest new car market. More recent...
Jaguar XE Body, Chassis Use 75 Percent Aluminum
29 Jul 2014, 11:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / You heard that right - the British marque's upcoming model will get a lightweight, aluminum-intensive construction. Through bonding and riveting of the unibody, the Jaguar XE promises increased levels of torsional rigidity and a low curb weigh...
2014 Mercedes-Benz Vito Revealed, Shares Underpinnings With V-Class
29 Jul 2014, 09:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Replacing the 11-year-old model series 639, the new Mercedes-Benz Vito is bigger, better and a little bit more capable than its predecessor. The recently launched mid-size van can be specified in three versions, three lengths for the panel van, thr...
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Is Almost Ready for Production
29 Jul 2014, 08:15 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A few days ago, a particular SAE J1349 certification filing set the automotive world on fire. Standard CPCG1_15CHSRT hints that the 6.2-liter blown V8 from the mad 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat will also be propelling the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT...
2015 Hyundai Sonata Recalled Over Feeble Brake Calipers
28 Jul 2014, 19:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / While the seventh-generation Hyundai Sonata is a good piece of personal transportation kit for its low $21,150 starting MSRP, the South Korean mid-size sedan is recalled for an issue with the brake calipers. This is the second recall for the mod...
Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari F2001 Selling for $3.4 Million on duPont Registry
28 Jul 2014, 17:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A car that was raced in the highest tier motorsport of them all showed up on the duPont Registry for an eye-watering $3.4 million. Designed by Rory Byrne and driven by Brazilian racing driver Rubens Barrichello in the 2001 Formula 1 season, this is...
2015 Ford F-150 Pricing Starts at $26,615
28 Jul 2014, 16:08 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With the Dearborn truck plant a month away from retooling to start production of the 2015 Ford F-150, the all-new pickup truck now has a sticker price. Naturally, that 95 percent aluminum alloy body shell hikes the price on all models and trims, bu...
2015 Ford Territory Breaks Cover, Looks the Same as the Outgoing Model
28 Jul 2014, 15:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Expectations were high with the last ever Ford Territory built in Australia, but the swan song model is nowhere near what potential buyers were waiting for. Even when you compare the updated Territory to recently unveiled Falcon XR8, it's easy...
Wireless Charging Now Available on the 2015 Cadillac ATS
28 Jul 2014, 14:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Every smartphone user knows that keeping the data connection on at all times drains the battery in record time. Carrying a charger everywhere you go is a bit of a hassle as well, so what can you do to keep your battery juiced up whilst on the move?...
Ford EcoSport 1L EcoBoost Priced from £14,995 in the UK
28 Jul 2014, 13:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you're in the market for a B-segment crossover but aren't convinced by the looks of the Peugeot 2008, Renault Captur or Nissan Juke, then you might like the Ford EcoSport. Available from £14,995, the all-new model boasts with sma...
Watch a Tesla Model S Controlled With an Android Wear Smartwatch
28 Jul 2014, 12:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Earlier this month, a team of hackers managed to take over the electronic brain of the Tesla Model S, gaining control over the luxury electric sedan's door locks, horn, wipers, headlights and sunroof. But now you can do just that with your And...
Marchi Mobile eleMMent Palazzo Luxury RV Sold for $3 Million · Video
28 Jul 2014, 09:33 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Nowadays, you can't help but pay a lot for a feature-laden motorhome. Take the 2015 Winnebago Brave RV as a prime example - this retro-modern toy retails at $95k without ticking a single box in the options list. However, the expensive madness ...
Ford Wages Legal War Against Ram Truck's Best-in-Class Towing Claims
28 Jul 2014, 08:40 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Less than two weeks ago, Ram Truck announced the SAE J2807 towing capacities for its 2015 light-duty and heavy-duty pickup lineup. Now, after Ford came clean with what the 2015 model year F-Series is capable of, there's a bit of a quarrel goin...
Fiat 500L Vans Concept Goes With the Flow
28 Jul 2014, 07:45 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Surf, skate and BMX action. From July 26th to August 3rd, Huntington Beach is the place to be if you want to be a part of the 2014 Vans US Open of Surfing. Not even Fiat managed to stay away from this event, so it debuted a one-off Vans-inspired de...
Tesla Opens New Store In London, Second Dealership in the United Kingdom
27 Jul 2014, 19:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Just as the Palo Alto-based manufacturer temporarily stopped assembly of the Model S to retool its Fremont facility for the Model X electric crossover, Tesla Motors opened its second store and service centre in the United Kingdom. Accessible from t...
China-Spec Tesla Model S Doesn't Have Sat-Nav, Google Maps Not Supported
27 Jul 2014, 18:28 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Have you ever imagined that a car worth $121,000 can't do satellite navigation in the Republic of China? Neither did we, but it seems like Tesla didn't thought this through with the Model S in this market... If you think that $81,070 i...
Three-Seater Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale Heads to Auction
27 Jul 2014, 18:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / So you thought that only the legendary McLaren F1 features a wacky three-seater configuration? Well, not quite. The Lamborghini Miura was a three-seater on paper before the final design was chosen, while Ferrari made a one-off 365 "Tre Posti&q...
Air Conditioning Greatly Affects Fuel Economy, Study Finds
27 Jul 2014, 16:33 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Just about every driver knows that the air con or climate control have an effect on fuel economy. To find out just how much damage is done at the pump, Emissions Analytics tested over 100 cars in L.A. to determine how much extra fuel you really use...