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.
Tesla Model S Is SoCal's AAA Top Green Vehicle Of 2014
1 Jun 2014, 16:28 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / This year's edition of the AAA Automotive Club of Southern California Green Car Guide ranked the all-electric Tesla Model S P85 as the best green machine money can buy these days. More than 80 other low-polluting and fuel-efficient cars are fe...
One In Five UK Motorists Can't Open Their Own Hood
1 Jun 2014, 14:48 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / A recent study conducted by tire manufacturer Kumho reveals truly worrying facts about car ownership in Great Britain. Results of the survey hint that almost half of motorists stranded on the hard shoulder with a flat tire wouldn't know how to...
2015 Ford Mustang Gains 300 Pounds Over Outgoing Model
1 Jun 2014, 14:02 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / According to a blog entry from Ford tuner Steeda, the all-new Stang is heavier than the outgoing model by 200 to 300 pounds on average. Official specs of the 2015 Ford Mustang haven't been released yet, therefore this kind of info should be tr...
Spyshots: 2015 Skoda Octavia Facelift Spotted
30 May 2014, 17:33 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Even though it was revealed just 2 years ago at Skoda's museum in Mlada Boleslav, the third-generation (Typ 5E) Octavia is preparing for its mid-cycle aesthetic refresh. The facelift model is slated to arrive in European showrooms at some poin...
Toyota Kentucky Plant Builds 10-Millionth Vehicle
30 May 2014, 17:11 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It's hard to comprehend how a car company originating from a World War II-struck Japan managed in 70 years or so to uplevel itself from being a small-time player to the world's greatest car manufacturer. Naturally, being a global automake...
How to Save Fuel: Green Driving Tips You Should Be Aware Of
30 May 2014, 16:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Somewhere up high in the top 10 most anxiety-laden elements of owning a car is, without a doubt, the unpredictable fuel gauge needle and its relentless race towards the reserve indicator light. That's why we've put together a helpful guid...
Restored Facel Vega Excellence For Sale in The Netherlands
30 May 2014, 11:43 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / After the successes of the fabulous FV and HK500 models, French luxury car manufacturer Facel Vega developed an even bigger and more exclusive model in 1958. Due to the limited production run, the Excellence is one rare and exotic piece of automoti...
Ford Details Adaptive Steering System
30 May 2014, 10:39 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The American car manufacturer dropped the first details of its all-new generation steering technology. Slated to be incorporated across the Ford lineup within 12 months, the revamped system improves steering feel at all speeds, but also makes the v...
Ford Recalls 1.4 Million Vehicles In Four Separate Campaigns
30 May 2014, 08:54 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you thought that General Motors is the only American car manufacturer burdened by call back campaigns, think again. The Blue Oval has recently announced that a whopping 1.4 million automobiles built between 2006 and 2013 are subjected to four se...
Ford Tested the 2015 F-150 In Plain View Since 2011 · Video
29 May 2014, 19:35 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Yup, the Blue Oval managed to hide the all-new generation of its pickup in full public view for almost 3 years now. As it happens, a number of 2015 Ford F-150 trucks wearing the outgoing model's bodyshell were tested by unknowing real customer...
Ford Everest Prototype Spotted In China
29 May 2014, 16:38 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / With the current generation getting pretty old now, it's no secret that the Blue Oval is currently baking an all-new Everest SUV. After it was spotted testing in cold weather conditions earlier this year disguised as the current-gen model, Aut...
Autobrake and Forward Collision Warning Does Improve Vehicle Safety, IIHS Reports
29 May 2014, 15:27 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Less than a year since the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety adopted a new ratings program for front crash prevention, the organization hints that automakers have rapidly adopted or improved forward collision warning and automatic-braking capa...
Porsche Macan Investigated Over Brake System Problem
29 May 2014, 14:11 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / The Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer announced today that 2,500 Euro-spec units of the Macan crossover are prone to brake booster failure. That shouldn't happen to a vehicle developed and built with world-class Germanic attention to det...
2014 Dodge Dart Is Both Decent and Flawed, CR Considers
29 May 2014, 12:47 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Chrysler's compact sedan combines all-American characteristics with Alfa Romeo DNA. But is it truly competitive in a segment chuck-full of Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus sedan, Subaru Impreza and Hyundai Elantra? That's what the experts o...
Kinetic Design Chief Retires From Ford Motor Company
29 May 2014, 11:53 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Martin Smith, the mastermind behind the Kinetic styling language, announced his retirement from Ford's European arm. The Brit's position as head of design will be taken over by American-born Joel Piaskowski. First showcased in 2005 on ...
1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible Going Under the Hammer
29 May 2014, 10:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Back in 2002, a '71 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible entered the record books by being the first muscle car to change hands for more than $1 million dollars. Fast forward 12 years or so and the last example of the breed manufactured is estimated...
Must Watch: Fire Breathing Monsters Documentary
29 May 2014, 09:06 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / If you're a fan of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, then heed our words and watch the 'Fire Breathing Monsters' documentary as soon as possible. It's aggressive, deafening and full of passionate racers, but somehow manag...
Faulty GM Ignition Switches Killed Over 13 People, NHTSA Reckons
29 May 2014, 08:13 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Most American drivers know by now what the GM recall fiasco boils down to - very unsafe cars. Even though the Detroit manufacturer reckons 13 people have been killed in accidents connected to the defective ignition switches, the NHTSA begs to diffe...
Euro-Spec 2015 Ford Mustang Ordered By 500 People in 30 Seconds
28 May 2014, 19:49 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / Europeans seem to present a great interest in the Ford Motor Company's sixth-generation Mustang. Even though the model will go on sale in Europe later this year, 9,300 reservations have been made during the 120-minute Champions League final th...
Caterham Seven Kamui Kobayashi Limited Edition Is a Japan-Only Treat
28 May 2014, 18:54 UTC · By: Mircea Panait / It's not often a specialized sports car marque such as Caterham introduces a limited edition model. And that shows just by going over the stats of the all-new Japan-exclusive Caterham Seven Kamui Kobayashi Limited Edition. Developed with th...