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.
2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500/GT350 Spied Inside and Out
3 Jun 2014, 18:07 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Our carparazzi spotted a heavily camouflaged prototype of the upcoming 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 cruising around the Santa Monica Pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue. But is this really the next iteration of the brawny Shelby GT500? Insider...
General Motors May US Sales Up 13 Percent
3 Jun 2014, 16:58 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In spite of the 15.8 million vehicles recalled over safety issues since the 1st of January, a tarnished GM announced that May 2014 is the Detroit manufacturer's best sales month since August 2008. While total sales were up 13 percent, retail s...
Ford Reports Best May Retail Sales in 10 Years
3 Jun 2014, 16:05 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The 254,084 vehicles moved by the Blue Oval in the United States the former month translate to a 3 percent overall sales increase compared to May 2013. As for retail sales, Ford managed to vend 174,899 automobiles - an increase of 6 percentage poin...
Chrysler Group Reports May 2014 US Sales
3 Jun 2014, 15:18 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The American manufacturer's Stateside sales volume soared by 17 percent this last month due to the strong demand for the Jeep and Ram brands. May 2014 marks the 50th consecutive month of financial gains for the Chrysler Group. The best May ...
1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Looks Great in Cameo White · Video
3 Jun 2014, 14:10 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In the world of American muscle cars, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am holds a very dignified place due to its scarcity and legendary performance. If you're a diehard fan of the breed who bleeds 100 octane gasoline, then you might be interested i...
2015 Volvo XC90 In-Car Driving Experience Detailed · Video
3 Jun 2014, 12:46 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Compared to the first-generation Volvo XC90 from 2002, the all-new model is a far cry both comfort and technological-wise. The centerpiece that dominates the cabin of the Swedish automaker's upcoming flagship is represented by a tablet-like 9-...
Troller T4 Breaks Cover in Brazil
3 Jun 2014, 11:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Ford do Brasil released the first photos and specifications of the second-generation Troller T4 SUV. This back-to-basics off-roader isn't exactly laden with up-to-date creature comforts, but we still think that the South American go-anywhere m...
Edelbrock Soups Up the C7 Corvette With E-Force Supercharger · Video
3 Jun 2014, 09:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Producing 624 horsepower at the flywheel and a hefty 600 lb-ft (813 Nm) of tire-shredding torque, Edelbrock's all-new E-Force Supercharger kit might level up the standard C7 Corvette Stingray to be a serious rival for the upcoming 2015 Chevro...
2015 Ford Mustang Got Fat, But Not By 300 Pounds
3 Jun 2014, 08:23 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Remember we reported a couple of days ago that Steeda Autosports proclaimed "the 2015 Mustang ended up gaining 200-300 pounds" over the outgoing model? Well, that was just an utterly stupid presumption courtesy of the largest independent ...
FPV GT F 351 Further Teased, G-Force Sensor Confirmed
2 Jun 2014, 16:16 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though the final FPV model is slated to be officially revealed on the 10th of June, Melbourne-based Ford Performance Vehicles dropped five extra teaser photos to quench our thirst for this lean, mean Australian machine. We can all agree tha...
Jeep's 2012 Airbag Recall Investigated By U.S. Safety Regulators
2 Jun 2014, 15:37 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This just in: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation regarding the Chrysler Group's 2012 recall involving 919,545 Jeep SUVs fitted with defective airbags. Even though the affected vehicles have already been ...
Blown Holden HQ Does the Most Fiery Burnout Ever
2 Jun 2014, 14:24 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Most burnout junkies know that the Australians are in a league of their own when it comes to laying down long strips of rubber on the asphalt. But what the owner of a heavily modified Holden HQ does beggars belief even if you think you've seen...
2014 Jeep Cherokee Diesel Review
2 Jun 2014, 13:34 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The renowned Cherokee returns to the Jeep lineup for the 2014 model year and promises to be the new king of the hill in the mid-size SUV segment. But is the American model a worthy rival for more premium and traditional offerings such as the Audi Q...
Hennessey Velociraptor HPE600 Hits the Dyno
2 Jun 2014, 12:31 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If the 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft (588 Nm) of torque 6.2-liter big-bore V8 mill powering the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor isn't punchy enough for some of you, then Hennessey Performance has a something that might satisfy your need for grunt. Thi...
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Is Underway, Hybrid Version In the Cards
2 Jun 2014, 11:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / In a recent Detroit Free Press interview, General Motors product chief Mark Reuss fired up the speculation machine with juicy info on the future eight-generation Chevrolet Corvette. The GM official declared that development of the Corvette C8 is al...
1928 Renault NN from Indiana Jones Going Under the Hammer
2 Jun 2014, 09:52 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you're a fan of the iconic Indiana Jones blockbuster franchise and also love pre-war European drop-tops, then this 1928 Renault NN featured in the 1988 flick 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade' might rock both your boats. Th...
Grand Theft Auto Bravado Banshee For Sale on eBay
2 Jun 2014, 08:50 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This one-of-a-kind real-life version of every GTA player's favorite ride is now up for grabs on eBay. Even though it's been 13 years since the car was first featured in Grand Theft Auto III, you can now make the Banshee Bravado yours if y...
2015 Ford F-150 Spied Undisguised In Detroit
2 Jun 2014, 07:55 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though mass production is slated to start this summer after the Blue Oval's Dearborn plant will undergo a thorough retooling process, the production ready 2015 Ford F-150 has already been spotted on Sunday in suburban Detroit. From the...
Car Accidents Cost the U.S. $871 Billion Per Year, Study Shows
1 Jun 2014, 18:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This estimate comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's latest report, accounting for the economic loss and societal harm over vehicle accidents from 2010. Simply put, driving mistakes that conclude in car accidents amoun...
Holden VF Commodore, WN Caprice Recalled Over Defective Seatbelts
1 Jun 2014, 17:32 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The ever-increasing General Motors recall saga continues with a safety campaign in the land down under. No less than 41,993 Holden VF Commodore and WN Caprice vehicles from the 2014 model year are called back for a seatbelt issue. The statement ...