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.
Kia Recalls 2014 Cadenza Over Fragile Alloy Wheels
19 Jun 2014, 16:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Over 3,100 units of the Kia Cadenza from the 2014 model year are called back for the most peculiar of reasons: 19-inch non-chrome aluminum wheels may fracture if the driver runs over large asphaltic imperfections. The Korean manufacturer informs...
Mazda Tribute Recalled Over Steering Problem
19 Jun 2014, 15:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It's been only two months since Mazda called back 109,000 Tribute SUVs fitted with control arms prone to crack or even break. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just announced that 33,000 more Tributes from the 2008 - 2...
2015 Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra Light-Duty Trucks Can Tow 12,000-lbs
19 Jun 2014, 14:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to the all-new SAE J2807 towing capacity standard, the all-new Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 can tow up to 12,000-lbs. That's 500-pound over the 2014 model year versions of the light-duty pickup trucks. Be warned though...
Shelby-Powered Sunbeam Tiger Is the Ultimate Drop-Top Sleeper
19 Jun 2014, 13:29 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Built from '64 to '67 in just 7,083 units, the Sunbeam Tiger is one of the rarest and most sought after British roadsters ever made. But the Tiger I we're talking about today isn't fitted with the original 260 cubic inch (4.3-li...
Opel / Vauxhall Corsa E Spied Undisguised
19 Jun 2014, 12:22 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / See that brownish subcompact car? That's the production version of the 2015 Opel Corsa posing for its first official photo shoot. Thanks to this little Parisian promenade and Blog Automobile's crack team of spy photographers, we found out...
Ford F-350 vs Ram 3500 HD vs Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Comparison
19 Jun 2014, 11:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It starts from $31,045, it's powered by a second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel offering best-in-class power and fuel economy and it can tow 31,200 pounds if equipped with the Trailer Tow Package. We're talking about th...
Is John Hennessey the Best Burnout Teacher Ever?
19 Jun 2014, 09:19 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Damn straight he is! How many dads out there actually kept their promise to show the kids how to do a burnout? Props to Mr. Hennessey for taking his two sons to the dragstrip and getting them acquainted with the little niggles that are key to smoki...
Chrysler Investigated Over Ignition Switch Problem
18 Jun 2014, 20:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Just as General Motors' recall tally surpassed the 20 million vehicle mark, another heavyweight manufacturer from Detroit is facing an investigation over potential ignition switch glitches. Chrysler is its name and the suspected models come in...
New York Allows Tesla Direct Sales, New Jersey to Follow
18 Jun 2014, 19:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / NY Governor Andrew Cuomo put his signature on a document that permits the EV manufacturer to sell its eco-friendly cars directly to consumers located here. Further more, the Assembly recently passed a bill to the Senate allowing Tesla to sell cars ...
Mary Barra Vowed GM Will Get Its Act Together, Recall Tally Surpasses 20 Million Vehicles
18 Jun 2014, 16:19 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The General Motors CEO declared today in front of Congress members that she "will not rest" until safety and non-compliance issues affecting millions of GM vehicles will be fixed. Barra underlined that the manufacturer's main focus a...
Tata Nano Turbo In the Pipeline, EV and Automatic Considered As Well
18 Jun 2014, 15:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ladies and gentleman, contain your excitement 'cause Tata Motors is planning to strap a turbocharger atop the 624 cc engine that powers the "one-lakh car." Further more, an automated manual transmission known as the F-Tronic is also ...
Uber Invites You to Take a Ride Aboard Optimus Prime
18 Jun 2014, 14:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With the heavily anticipated fourth film of the Transformers franchise just around the corner, Paramount Pictures is cooking all sorts of cool cross-promotions in order to raise the hype surrounding the Autobots' upcoming Hollywood adventure. ...
Dacia UK Celebrates 25,000th Vehicle Delivered
18 Jun 2014, 12:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In a mere 18 months since the Romanian low-cost manufacturer has landed on British soil, the Renault-owned company managed to move no less than 25,000 cheap and cheerful vehicles. Marketed in the United Kingdom as "shockingly affordable,"...
2015 Ford Edge Spied Testing In Europe
18 Jun 2014, 12:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After it was previewed at the Geneva Motor Show in concept guise, the Blue Oval is applying the finishing touches on the second-generation Ford Edge. The D-segment SUV was recently spotted by our carparazzi while testing in Europe, which reconfirms...
Tesla Model X Confirmed With AWD and Falcon Wing Doors
18 Jun 2014, 10:14 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to an official email sent to all Model X reservation holders, Tesla has confirmed that the electric crossover will start production in early 2015. However, the proverbial cherry on the top is represented by the fact that Tesla is "pl...
2015 Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon Order Guides Leaked
18 Jun 2014, 09:17 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though GM these days is overshadowed by the scandals surrounding the millions of cars recalled over safety or non-compliance reasons, the manufacturer is working hard on new models behind the scenes. Two of the most anticipated nameplates to b...
Ford Pushes 1L EcoBoost to 140 HP, Launches Fiesta Red & Black Editions · Video
18 Jun 2014, 08:12 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Blue Oval has taken the wraps off the most peppy iteration of its three-cylinder turbo mill marketed under the EcoBoost moniker. In terms of horsepower-per-liter of displacement, the hottest 1.0-liter EcoBoost trumps full-on supercars and even ...
These Are the Most Stolen SUVs in America
17 Jun 2014, 19:20 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, no less than 21,711 SUVs and CUVs from the 2011 - 2013 model years were stolen in the United States between January 1st, 2010 and December 31st, 2013. But the most amusing thing of the report is tha...
1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 Advertised for $47,900
17 Jun 2014, 18:07 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Arguably one of the most special Corvette variants put into production, the C4 ZR-1 is one of the rarest and most sought after Vettes ever made. So when a pristine condition 2,892-mile ZR-1 shows up on the Internet for just $47,900, you might as we...
Acura Quietly Discontinued the ILX Hybrid
17 Jun 2014, 16:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A few moments ago, Honda's premium division released a material covering the highlights of the 2015 Acura ILX. But the hybrid variant was nowhere to be found, not even in the trim levels and specifications sheet, meaning that the eco-friendly ...