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.
2015 Ford Explorer Gets Sporty Appearance Package
13 Jun 2014, 18:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Blue Oval's seven-seater crossover has been refreshed for the 2015 model year with a new sports-inspired appearance pack which includes a handful of visual touches, as well as a few comfort and technological upgrades. Three all-new exterio...
Entire Chevrolet Camaro Production Run Recalled, Saab 9-3 Convertible Also Added to GM Recall Tally
13 Jun 2014, 16:15 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though Saab is currently in Chinese hands and builds a cheap electric rendition of the 9-3, almost 29k drop-tops wearing the Swedish griffin badge that utilize General Motors underpinnings are recalled over a fault with the safety belts. This ...
How to Brake Like a Professional Racing Driver
13 Jun 2014, 11:11 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In the world of motorsports, out-and-out horsepower or big team budgets are worth naught if the driver doesn't master a handful of braking techniques. Developing a few basic techniques into something close to a sixth sense is no walk in the pa...
Tesla Patents Go Open Source
12 Jun 2014, 18:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / We've reported a couple of times before that Tesla was considering to giveaway its patents for the greater good of electric vehicle development. Well, the move has been made sooner than expected… According to an official statement writt...
NHTSA Prepares Drastic Tire Aging Regulation
12 Jun 2014, 15:01 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The agency charged with regulating auto industry and transportation safety standards in the United States is preparing a tire aging regulation. This breaking piece of news has been released by Abby Morgan, a safety standards engineer at the NHTSA, ...
Volvo 1800ES Sold at Auction for Record-Breaking $92,400
12 Jun 2014, 14:21 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Although it was forever overshadowed by its P1800 coupe brother, every cool dad from Sweden wanted a Volvo 1800ES in the 1970s. The 1973 three-door wagon you can admire in our photo gallery changed hands recently for $92,400 at an auction event in ...
7 In 10 Pickup Trucks to Get Aluminum Bodies By 2025
12 Jun 2014, 13:36 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Consulting and research firm Ducker Worldwide forecasts that 70 percent of pickup trucks will have their bodyshells made out of aluminum by 2025. The Blue Oval has already made a step in this direction with the 2015 Ford F-150, slated to go on sale...
First Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Delivered to US Customer
12 Jun 2014, 12:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Dubbed by the South Korean manufacturer as the "first mass-produced fuel cell vehicle", the hydrogen-powered SUV was delivered to California resident Timothy Bush, the proud owner of the first 2015 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell sold in the Uni...
Small SUVs Push Subcompact Car Sales Down in Europe
12 Jun 2014, 11:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / For the first time in 8 years, Europe's favorite vehicle segment might end its sales reign in 2014 due to the rising demand for lifestyle-oriented small crossovers. Forecasts hint that subcompact car sales will fall to 2.64 million this year f...
Chrysler Recalls 600k SUVs Over Corrosion Issue
12 Jun 2014, 10:04 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The American automaker announced that over 600,000 sport utility vehicles are prone to premature corrosion. Specifically, brake boosters fitted to those vehicles are very vulnerable to rust damage, a problem which may ultimately lead to an accident...
2015 Kia Soul EV Enters Production
12 Jun 2014, 09:18 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The South Korean company's first all-electric, zero-emissions export model has entered mass production and is ready to join the 2014 Kia Optima Hybrid in the brand's line of environmentally conscious automobiles. In Europe, the funky ...
Owners of Recalled GM Vehicles Won't Be Compensated For Depreciation
12 Jun 2014, 07:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / An official statement from General Motors indicates that owners of recalled GM-branded cars will not receive any kind of compensation for lost value on their vehicles. However, the Detroit manufacturer will accept physical injury or death claims co...
2015 Mitsubishi Mirage Returns 40 MPG Combined
11 Jun 2014, 20:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to the numbers claimed by the Japanese manufacturer, the revised subcompact is currently the most fuel efficient non-hybrid gasoline vehicle available in North America. But the best part is that you can experience that frugality at a very...
2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Receives New CVT Gearbox
11 Jun 2014, 18:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Mitsubishi's best-seller gets a few new or improved bits and bobs for the 2015 model year, chief among which is the next-generation CVT transmission described as the "equivalent to a seven-speed (automatic) transmission." We're ...
2015 Ford Mustang GT Designated NASCAR Pace Car
11 Jun 2014, 17:30 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / An all-new Ford Mustang will serve as the safety car of the Quicken Loans 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race, which will take place at the Michigan International Speedway on June 15th. Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, will be the driver of the...
NHTSA Halts $7k Daily Fines Against General Motors
11 Jun 2014, 16:00 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / General Motors doesn't have to pay anymore daily fines after the Detroit manufacturer successfully addressed the agency's recall inquiries. For the reason of failing to meet the April 3rd deadline for answering 107 questions about the ign...
Blown Chevrolet Caprice PPV Lays Down Rubber · Video
11 Jun 2014, 14:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In the U.S., the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor has been the primary tool in combating crime for a heck of a long time now. Although the more modern Taurus is a pretty cool successor to the aging Vic, we're pretty sure that the Chevrol...
1966 Plymouth Valiant Is a Diamond In the Rough
11 Jun 2014, 12:57 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In the world of small rear-wheel drive American cars built at a time when Detroit was still a happy place hooked on Motown tunes, the Plymouth Barracuda is certainly the most appreciated of the lot. But not many know that the iconic Cuda is based o...
Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee Season 4 Trailer
11 Jun 2014, 11:44 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Following the same format of introducing vintage rides, pick up the guest stars and take them out for a coffee, Jerry Seinfeld's web show returns on June 19th for its fourth season. Sarah Jessica Parker, Robert Klein, George Wallace, Jon Stewa...
Tesla to Share Supercharger Network With Other EV Manufacturers
11 Jun 2014, 10:03 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After personally unveiling the first ever units of the right-hand drive Tesla Model S the last Saturday in London, Elon Musk declared to the media that his company is committed to share its Supercharger network with rival electric vehicle manufactu...