Mircea Panait
20,321 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.
Ferrari 250 LM Heading to Auction · Video
27 Jun 2014, 12:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Built from 1953 to 1964, the 250 series of road and race cars consists of the most revered models ever made by the biggest name in the industry - Ferrari. The 250 GTO is a prime example of that acclaimed breed of Italian exotica, but Ferrari's...
Cadillac Targeting Tesla Motors and BMW According to Marketing Chief
27 Jun 2014, 09:44 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After taking the marketing reins of the American luxury manufacturer last November, Uwe Ellinghaus has been hard at work trying to put Cadillac back on its former glory's tracks. According to the German-born CMO, GM's luxury arm is target...
5.4L Triton V8-Powered Fords Called Over Idling Issue
27 Jun 2014, 08:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It's a widely known fact that the 330 CID (5.4-liter) version of the Triton V8 wasn't a praised engine because… reasons. Too many reasons, to be frank. Just recently Ford announced that some vehicles from the 2004 to the 2013 model...
National Corvette Museum to Conserve Sinkhole As Is Until September · Video
26 Jun 2014, 19:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When the museum's board of directors met to discuss the future of the sinkhole disaster that harmed eight rare Corvettes, three main options were put to the vote - "1) fill the sinkhole and replace the floor; 2) keep the entire sinkh...
Qoros 3 Hatch Pricing Announced
26 Jun 2014, 18:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Let's get straight to the point: if you want to buy a brand new Qoros 3 Hatch, the Chinese manufacturer will charge you ¥119,000 for the entry-level model in its home market, translating to $19,257, €14,167 or £11,322 at current...
Jeep Custom Hood Decals Now Available For Wrangler, Cherokee, Grand Cherokee
26 Jun 2014, 17:30 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Once again, Jeep teamed up with Mopar to develop a suite of aesthetic customization options for the American manufacturer's latest models. The result of this joint effort was baptized 'Jeep Custom Hood Decals' and, as the name implie...
2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0-Liter EcoBoost Dissed by Consumer Reports
26 Jun 2014, 16:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With the 2014 MY, the US-spec Ford Fiesta finally received the 1.0-liter EcoBoost mill. Even though it's won the International Engine of the Year overall award for the third time in a row and most auto journalists praise the little three-pot, ...
Stolen Corvette Reunited With Owner After 33-Year Abscence
26 Jun 2014, 14:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / As unbelievable as it might sound, this story finalized with an unforeseen happy ending. George Talley last saw his '79 Vette on an unfaithful day in July 1981. After he parked his beloved C3 on Jefferson Ave., Detroit, George came back to the...
Next-Gen Ford Super Duty to Adopt Aluminum Too
26 Jun 2014, 13:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / During the Detroit Auto Show in January, Alan Mulally hinted in a cryptic manner that the 2015 Ford F-150 pickup's part-aluminum construction will be adopted by upcoming mass-produced models bearing the Blue Oval logo. Specifically, Ford'...
33k Chevrolet Cruze Sedans Involved In GM Stop-Sale Order
26 Jun 2014, 12:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The bigwigs over at General Motors announced an immediate stop-sale order on some 2013 and 2014 model year Chevrolet Cruze sedans currently in dealership inventory. As for the potentially hazardous condition that hampered the sales of GM's bes...
All-New Ram ProMaster City Van Breaks Cover · Video
26 Jun 2014, 11:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / While the Blue Oval has the all-new Transit Connect and Chevrolet recently unveiled the Nissan NV200-based City Express, now it's Chrysler's turn to dive headfirst into the North American compact cargo van segment. Cue the 2015 Ram ProMas...
Ford F-150 Recalled Over Power Steering Glitch
26 Jun 2014, 09:51 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you thought that GM is the only American carmaker suffering greatly due to its 20 million vehicles recalled this year, think again. Some Chrysler models experience problems with the Pentastar V6, while a handful of Blue Oval vehicles are investi...
2016 Ford Focus RS Spied Almost Undisguised
26 Jun 2014, 09:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though the facelifted Ford Focus ST will be unveiled this very weekend at Goodwood, the Blue Oval's skunkworks team isn't resting on its laurels just yet. For the first time ever, our spy photographers managed to spot a prototype of...
Chinese Supplier Blamed by GM Over Ignition Switch Fiasco
25 Jun 2014, 19:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Well, well, well. What do we have here then? Moments ago we’ve found out that General Motors accused one of its suppliers as the prime cause for the millions of vehicles fitted with sub-standard ignition switches. Specifically, the America...
2015 Cadillac ATS Caught on Film During Promo Shoot
25 Jun 2014, 18:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / We already know how the new model year Cadillac ATS looks like with and without camouflage. We also know that the automaker charges $38,990 for the least expensive 2015 Cadillac ATS coupe. But what we didn’t know (until a few moments ago) is...
Ford & Intel Demonstrate Project Mobii Mobile Interior Imaging Technology
25 Jun 2014, 17:18 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ford and Intel joined forces to explore new applications for interior video cameras to further enhance the in-car experience for both driver and passengers. It may sound like it came out of the sci-fi cyberpunk Ghost In the Shell animation movie, b...
Ford 1.0-liter EcoBoost Wins Overall Engine of the Year Award
25 Jun 2014, 16:09 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Since 1999, the International Engine of the Year Awards has been heralded as one of the best ways for world class automakers to boast about the newest mass produced powerplants developed by them. And guess what - Ford took the crown once again, for...
2015 Ford Mustang Features Enhanced Sync 911 Assist
25 Jun 2014, 15:29 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Introduced in 2008, the 911 Assist was the industry’s first gizmo to call 911 directly following a vehicle crash instead of relaying calls through a third party. But with the 2015 Ford Mustang, the subscription-free system comes with a suite...
Power Wheels Ford F-150 Will Make You Want to Be a Kid Again
25 Jun 2014, 14:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / When Ford dropped the first official photos and specs of the 2015 Ford F-150, we’ve been completely won over by the latest reiteration of America’s favorite pickup truck. However, we recently had a change of heart after we’ve lear...
Ford Beats Coca-Cola and Apple In Best Global Green Brands Report
25 Jun 2014, 12:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Recognized by branding consultancy company Interbrand as the victor of the 50 Best Global Green Brands 2014 report, the Blue Oval performed better than Toyota (#2), Honda (#3) and Nissan (#4). Before going any further, we remind you that Interbr...