Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) unveiled its new Model S 70D Wednesday, an all-wheel drive electric car with a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds and a 240 mile range at 65 mph.

This marks the removal of the Tesla Motors Model S as the company’s lowest end car, further enticing potential buyers. The car will mark a new chapter for the American car maker, ensuring its solid position as the leader in EV market is kept intact.

The new model comes with independently operational front and rear motors, allowing for superb traction and performance, combined with additional extras like the Autopilot hardware, navigation, blind spot detection and many other features. As with every Model S, the 70D will receive free over-the-air updates that add functionality and improve the driving experience for years to come. The updates received by Tesla Motors, available to current and future owners, may help providing additional range, potential new features and other items.

The new model will start at $75,000. In certain cases the Model S 70D will include additional fuel savings and incentives, which make the actual cost of owning Model S 70D about $55k over five years according to Tesla’s numbers (the average length of new car ownership). This is partly achievable, thanks to the Supercharging option included at no additional cost since the option is available included in the base price of this model shown.

The Tesla Model S 70D is available starting today. It is available in three new colors: Ocean Blue, Obsidian Black, and Warm Silver. The current color finishes are also available for ordering with this vehicle, giving would-be owners a nice selection overall.

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Already in its second generation, the 2015 Jaguar XF simply improves upon perfection in a lot of ways, creating a unique bland of style and excellence in one vehicle. Dubbed by many as a true competitor to the BMW 5 Series (ETR: BMW), it certainly gives the Bavarian car maker and their highly touted and rather successful model a thing to worry about.

The refreshed model will launch in Winter 2015 where it will bring several improvements upon its predecessor. These mostly revolve around the newly introduced all-aluminum chassis, granting better rigidity, improved handling, lowered weight and improved fuel efficiency resulting from that. The car will remain a beautiful thing of British design overall. There aren’t significant changes employed with the exterior and interior design. The car was already perfect to begin with.

However, the car is a bit longer than the previous generation. The wheelbase of the upcoming Jaguar XF is increased by 2 inches (51mm) to 116.5 inches (2,960mm) overall- However, the vehicle’s overall diameters have shrunken by 0.3in (7mm) to 195in (4,954mm) long. This longer wheelbase delivers superior packaging that liberates an additional 0.6in (15mm) of rear legroom, 0.9in (24mm) of rear knee room and up to 1.1in (27mm) of rear headroom.

Engineers at Jaguar have put a great emphasis on handling. This is where the all-new Jaguar XF exceeds expectations of how a sedan should ride, handle and steer. Comfort and refinement have been taken to a higher level and combined with excellent agility and responsiveness. The light yet exceptionally stiff body with its combination of aluminum and advanced high-strength steels delivers a near-50:50 weight distribution. Double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension systems provide the inherently high levels of stiffness needed for agile handling and steering precision with the compliance essential for first-class comfort and refinement. Advanced damper technologies — both passive and continuously-variable — improve ride quality and extend the breadth of dynamic capability of the XF.

“The all-new XF has to deliver both driver reward through agility and immediacy of response when it’s called for, and yet great ride composure and comfort too. The light and rigid aluminum intensive architecture of the all-new XF is a key enabler for us delivering those attributes, as it provides an optimal basis for finely tuning the ride and handling characteristics of the car. The result is that the new XF is as satisfying to drive quickly, as it is comfortable to be driven in.” Mike Cross, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Integrity, Jaguar is quoted as saying in a press release.

As far as the powerplant offered goes, the performance oriented owners now have the choice of the Jaguar free-revving 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine in 340hp and 380hp ratings – equipped with either rear or all-wheel drive (AWD). The higher performance rated model is the Jaguar XF S which comes matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission, this model is capable of covering the 0-60mph sprint in 5.1 seconds on its way to an electronically-limited maximum speed of 155mph.

Additional performance, driving assistance and safety options, all matched with a bevvy of comfort oriented additions are available. The Jaguar XF is a worthy competitor to the BMW 5 Series, performing a role of the luxury daily driver and the high-performance monster equally good the same as its main competitor does. Overall, this is a viable alternative for people that want to pick and choose something different than the usual pickings in the business segment overall.

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After several years of mediocre sales in the high-end segment, Cadillac (NYSE: GM) has revealed the long anticipated Cadillac CT6 model.

This marks its return to the top of the luxury sedan segment,  a comeback that many will gladly welcome. The luxury sedan brings back the much needed attention to the luxury car maker, ensuring their survival in the highly competitive business area of high-end car models.

“The CT6 is nothing less than an entirely new approach to premium luxury – and an approach only Cadillac can offer,” said Johan de Nysschen, president of Cadillac in a statement. “It is a bold endeavor with unmatched dynamism that reignites a passion for driving in large luxury vehicles. In short, it is prestige luxury reimagined.”

The Cadillac CT6 takes full advantage of new technologies, ensuring the driver is more involved with their surroundings, providing a better overall driving experience as well. These include such additions as active technologies, dedicated in providing a better feeling, but also a smoother ride for the passengers of this rather luxury model. The added powerplants are spearheaded by an all-new Cadillac Twin Turbo engine that rewards with stirring power on demand. Passengers are ensconced in the brand’s ultimate expression of comfort, luxury and connectivity.

The Cadillac 3.0L Twin Turbo engine offers an estimated 400 horsepower (298 kW) and 400 lb-ft of torque (543 Nm), making it among the most power-dense V-6 engines in the segment, at 133 horsepower (99 kW) per liter. Additionally, the industry’s first application of cylinder deactivation technology on a turbocharged V-6 engine, as well as an eight-speed automatic transmission allows for better fuel efficiency and better utilization of the engine’s power when needed and when the driving conditions don’t mandate all the power delivery.

Furthermore, the active-on-demand all-wheel drive featuring a continuously variable clutch that infinitely varies power delivery to the front wheels – up to 959 lb-ft (1,300 Nm) – to make the most of handling and stability in all conditions.

The CT6 features one of the industry’s most advanced automotive body structures, an aluminum-intensive architecture that incorporates 11 different materials to achieve strength, performance and efficiency thresholds practically unmatched among the world’s elite luxury performance sedans. This makes the Cadillac CT6 lighter, more efficient and it gives the luxury sedan better overall driving performance.

It is one of the world’s lightest and most agile full-size luxury performance sedans, with dimensions and spaciousness on par with BMW’s short-wheelbase 7-Series, but the approximate weight, agility and efficiency of the smaller Cadillac CTS – which is lighter than a BMW 5-Series. The CT6 is lighter than the BMW 5-Series, 6-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

“We reinvented the approach to structural underpinnings in the quest to develop a unique formula for the prestige luxury performance sedan,” said de Nysschen. “Melding that new approach with the dynamics conveyed in our other award-winning rear-driven sedans – including V-Series – results in something that has been lost in the segment: the exhilaration of a true driver’s car.”

Taking on the competition

Cadillac focused on three pillars that would coalesce to deliver the CT6’s dynamic experience – and do so with higher levels of presence, elegance and technological innovation to help elevate Cadillac around the world. “Luxury brands are built from the top down,” said Cadillac Chief Marketing Officer Uwe Ellinghaus. “Adding a dynamic, top-of-the-range car is central to Cadillac’s elevation and global growth.”

Active rear steering with the Active Chassis System contributes to greater low-speed agility and high-speed stability. In parking lots, the turning circle is only 37 feet (11.4 m), comparable with the CTS, which has a 114.6-inch wheelbase vs. the CT6’s 122.4-inch wheelbase. This will amount to better handling, more stability, but above all it will exert much better comfort levels for the driver and their passengers, ensuring that the car performs its main task – ferrying passengers on long distances – with ample comfort levels overall.

According to Cadillac, the new body structure is lighter than some of its competitors like the BMW 5-Series or Audi A6. That state-of-the-art architecture is the foundation for its benchmark-establishing agility and vault-like solidity and quietness. The rather profound engine found in the top model also provides more than enough power for any driver requiring more performance and better handling overall. In a nutshell, the Cadillac CT6 will certainly stir up things in the luxury sedan market.

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It was a successful year for Mercedes-Benz (ETR: DAI) in every way: Increasing sales, new models coming out and now, a few awards to go along and spice things up.

Mercedes-Benz has won three categories in the prestigious World Car Awards 2015. These were received by Christoph Horn, Head of Global Communication Passenger Cars Mercedes-Benz and Rob Moran, Director Mercedes-Benz USA Communications. They received the awards on behalf of the brand with the three pointed star at a ceremony held on the occasion of the New York International Auto Show.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class established itself as a viable choice in the midsize luxury sedan market, further emphasized with the “World Car of the Year 2015 Award”. The S-Class Coupé was voted “World Luxury Car 2015″, while the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car picked up the award for “World Performance Car 2015″.

This year, Mercedes-Benz was the only manufacturer to make it into the final round of the awards with five vehicles. This commanding performance is unprecedented in the 11-year history of the “World Car of the Year” awards and serves to reflect the tremendous popularity of the Stuttgart-based brand among their customers. The international jury for these prestigious awards is made up of 75 renowned automotive journalists who were tasked with picking their favorites in several automotive categories for the awards shown there.

Mercedes-Benz has found success and praise with the jury in previous years too: in 2014 the S-Class won the category “World Luxury Car”. In 2012 the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY was the winner in the category “World Green Car”, while the same award was taken back in 2007 by the E 320 BlueTEC. The highly successful start for the Stuttgart based car maker by all means marks the period where Mercedes-Benz introduced several new models, changed its design philosophy to some extent, showcased great talent in plugging gaping holes in the particular model ranges, all resulting in increased sales numbers as well.

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The combination of classy looking projects and gorgeous women always brings the best in cars, no matter what. That’s the idea behind this Vorsteiner photoshoot. The shoot brings together the after-market wheels paired with a beautiful young model who rather profoundly fits as the potential owner of this gorgeous Riviera Blue Audi S3 seen here. The perfect appearance of a young woman joined together by one of the hottest small sedans on the market, this is a great way to finish off the week, wouldn’t you agree on that?

This Audi (ETR: NSU) S3 comes equipped with a set of Vorsteiner FlowForged V-FF 103 wheels. These are sized 19×8.5 in the front and rear. The squared combination works well with the Quattro all-wheel drive employed within this Audi S3, perfectly complementing the high-performance nature of this vehicle. The Mystic Black finish, this is what accentuates these contemporary style wheels just right.

As Vorsteiner describes it: “The comfortable V-FF 103’s featured on the 2015 Audi S3 symbolizes the thrill of a lifetime.” We couldn’t agree more. A lot of class, a beautiful showcase of modern lines with the Audi S3 combined with a stunning young woman, all makes for a perfect photoshoot. Take a look at the media gallery right below for further wallpaper sized images.

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With the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 (ETR: DAI) and 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S sedans now available on the market, Mercedes has released pricing for these two models.

The base model starts at MSRP of $63,900 and the more powerful model comes with a price of $71,900 without destination and other fees included. Both of these cars offer plenty of performance, but also great design, powerful engines, amazing interior and a full range of class-leading safety technologies.

Both models will arrive in the United States market as of April 2015. The cars are powered by the all-new M177 V8 bi-turbo engine that comes with an output of 469 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque for the C63, while the C63 S has an output of 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. This will provide the luxury high-performance models with enough power to provide exciting driving scenarios and a lot of performance oriented motoring as well. With the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 you get an acceleration from 0-62mph in just 4.0 seconds, while the more powerful 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S model will do the same in mere 3.9 seconds.

The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 is the best selling AMG model currently available. The sheer performance combined with the great design and well-known Mercedes-Benz interior luxury items all make for a great option to buyers that would like to have both a performance and luxury sedan, all in one vehicle. Please take a look at the media gallery below for some additional images of these models.

The post The Pricing For 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 Revealed appeared first on VR World.

Considered by many to be one of the most important automotive events, the New York International Auto Show always brings us a bevy of new models, concepts and general information from world’s most popular car brands.

The 2015 New York International Auto Show kicked off earlier this week, where we had one of our friends, a highly talented automotive photographer Cristian Guamanzara, visiting the NYIAS and taking a couple of interesting shots from the event itself.

Plenty more from the 2015 New York International Auto Show is coming up later today, with detailed information about several new models and concepts being released, all covered on our site in detail.  Take a look at the media gallery below the jump and feast your eyes on some rather exciting vehicles from one of the important annual events from the automotive industry.

2015 New York International Auto Show gallery

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Dropping out of a perfectly good airplane — that’s something than only those with a few screws loose can do. While I may be quoting the guys from Band of Brothers a bit, the fact remains; it’s hard to mentally justify such a thing and only the brave men and women in the military world are performing such tasks on a weekly basis.

Canada had hosted a military exercise called the Maple Flag a few weeks ago. Established in 1978, Maple Flag is one of the largest of such exercises in the world, as it makes use of the extensive Cold Lake Air Weapons Range (CLAWR) which is co-existent with Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake. Occurring annually, the military exercise takes place during a four-week period, where the Royal Canadian Air Force takes up their mission status readiness type drills, together with different allied nations from around the world.

It is yet unclear who screwed up in this jump. While the region mostly forested, there was a big patch of clear fields visible in the video. But as military parachutes are somewhat difficult to navigate with, its no wonder that, in combination with the prop blast, heavy winds and onset air flow above the landing area, all resulted in this scary situation. Luckily, the paratrooper has utilized his training well. Affording him a safe landing, except revealing to the world that even Canadians can curse in such situations. Check out the complete drop right below.

Image: Canadian Air Force Hercules C-130 Photo By BriYYZ

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In another run of the rumormill, Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) is slated to release three new Apple iPhone models later in the year according to a report.

With a much discussed refresh of the  sixth generation of its popular phone, Apple is going to add another sized mobile device to its lineup. Apple will probably show the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and a 4-inch device currently being referred to as iPhone 6s Mini or 6c later in the year, adding the much desired smaller model to its product range.

This has been revealed in a report by DigiTimes, scheduling the releases for latter parts of the year as per their sources. All three models will receive Gorilla Glass, an aspect much desired by Apple owners worldwide due to its resilience to scratches, breaks and other physical damage. Furthermore, the devices will see hardware updates, where the 6S series will use A9 chips and the 6C A8 chips. All of the devices will come equipped with NFC and fingerprint scanning technologies.

According to that report, the companies involved in the production for the phones are Wistron who will build the iPhone 6C while the 6S series will be assembled by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) (TPE:2317) and Pegatron (TPE: 4938)

The pricing has not been revealed, nor have the potential colors. Maybe Apple answers requests from would-be owners, where they could possibly return an all-white exterior Apple iPhone to the lineup too.

The post Report: Apple to Release Three New iPhones in 2015 appeared first on VR World.

Improved aerodynamics, hybrid drive and many other new details is what’s making the Audi (ETR: NSU) R18 E-Tron such an interesting vehicle. It’s ready for the 2015 Le Mans season, where Audi will certainly have more to say in a tough race against its competitors.

“The possibilities of the revolutionary regulations that have been in effect for LMP sports cars since 2014 are far from having been fully used. The rules harbor so much potential that there is room for future developments,” said Jörg Zander, Audi Sport’s new Head of Engineering, in a press release. “We expect that the technological progress resulting from the fierce competitive pressure exerted by four automobile manufacturers that are now involved will significantly improve lap times this season – while concurrently reducing fuel consumption.”

Even though the new Audi R18 e-tron looks similar to its predecessor, the racing prototype clearly differs both visually, performance wise and most importantly, technically. The fresh look results from a new way of conducting airflow around and through the front end, in the area of the sidepods and at the rear of the LMP1 prototype. Large air inlets in the front wheel arches reduce aerodynamic drag of the body and have led to an all-new design of the headlights. The lighting units feature Matrix LED technology combined with Audi Laserlight – two innovations that improve active safety in road traffic and that Audi customers can now order for their production models as well.

Audi has maintained the central safety aspect coming from the monocoque construction of the car, the hood together with the front wing and wheel arches is a completely redone design overall. A completely new crash test has been performed and it resulted in an element that incorporates the new crash structure ready for the 2015 season. Sidepods with new radiator configurations for cooling the engine and hybrid system further optimize the aerodynamic drag thanks to the modified airflow through the sidepods on the exterior

This year, Audi is again preparing two body versions for the various tracks on the FIA WEC calendar. In combination with an optimized chassis and in close cooperation with tire partner Michelin, Audi has further improved the performance potential of its sports prototype this way.

As a hybrid pioneer, Audi is taking the next step in recovering more energy through the vehicle as well. Audi is the only manufacturer to date that has won the Le Mans 24 Hours with hybrid sports cars. It is worth noting that, from 2012, the German motorsport team backed by the factory from Ingolstadt in every aspect, has not been beaten on the 24 hour race. This means that the hybrid system employed proved itself on one of the most daunting racing events out there.

During braking, energy is recovered which the system subsequently feeds back to the front axle on acceleration. The electrical machine that performs this task now delivers an output of more than 200 kW (272 hp), which is a significant increase compared to last year. Therefore, Audi has increased the capacity of the energy storage system as well. The encapsulated flywheel energy storage system that sits in the cockpit alongside the driver can store up to 700 kilojoules of energy that it subsequently returns to the electrical machine – which is about 17% more than in 2014.

Alongside the performance increase, Audi has made great strides to keep the weight down as the car weighs at a minimum of only 870 kilograms – notably in what is currently the world’s most complex racing category. This helps the hybrid, but overall, it results in a restriction for the internal combustion engine due to the rules applied in this racing series. According to the sporting regulations the fuel-energy amount has to be further reduced if the engineers opt for higher hybrid output. As a result, the R18 e-tron quattro has to make do with 2.5% less diesel fuel per lap than in 2014.

Furthermore, rectifying this but not made because of this issue, Audi has further developed the four-liter V6 TDI engine by performing a lot of detailed work to achieve the optimized consumption levels. Power output levels have been increased. The most efficient power-plant in the field now delivers 410 kW (558 hp). Apply this to the lightweight vehicle, add the overall improved fuel efficiency and this is a perfect solution for a race like this. In 2006, Audi’s TDI engine debuted at Le Mans, followed by eight victories until 2014. While lap times continually improved, fuel consumption decreased by 38 percent during this period.

As a result, the youngest generation of the R18 emphasizes the purpose which motorsport serves at Audi in many fields. Ever since the first Audi quattro was fielded in 1980, the brand has consistently been using circuit racing and rallying for the development of forward-thinking technologies that are subsequently used in production – from quattro four-wheel drive to TFSI gasoline direct injection, to the further development of TDI engines, through to innovations such as Matrix LED light and Audi Laserlight.

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Audi unveiled two other innovations with a reference to motorsport. For the first time, the brand showcased a hybrid model – the Q7 – that combines the e-tron quattro principle with a TDI engine. And the new R8* is the first model featuring the Audi Space Frame as a multi-material construction. In addition to aluminum, the frame includes a component made of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), a material that has long become a staple in racing.

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With the advent of electric vehicles, a rather profound issue has risen along the way:  range anxiety. The fear of loosing your energy while in some god forsaken place, isn’t something one should take lightly. There have been plenty of solutions proposed, but until now, the question hasn’t been answered in a way that warrants freedom, ease of use and safety all in one rather convenient package.

Star Engines is an innovative start-up that revolutionizes the combustion engine. Inspired by the Wankel engine, the engineers of Star Engine completely redesigned the combustion engine basics. This results in a – patented – small size, low weight 3D rotary engine with an unequaled performance. The principle opens a world of applications. Star Engines is open to explore partnership and dealership opportunities.

The solution to range anxiety is a small product that allows you to charge your vehicle with ease. Called the JERR.E it resembles a gas can and it is simple to use: this transportable generator allows you to utilize it’s new technology to generate electricity to power your vehicle.It comes with an internal combustion engine as the source of power, so it can be readily used where ever you find a gas station. Yes, a bit odd to be dependent on that source of power. On the other hand, this is the most elegant solution we’ve encountered thus far.

While the exact specifications (rate of charging, fuel consumption etc.) has remained unknown, we’ll surely be getting that information as we’ve requested that from the company itself. The JERR.E has been debuted thanks to a BMW i8 that is the car they are using to demonstrate the charging aspect of this product. Showcased in a beautiful photoshoot done by Gijs Speirings, this will show you how well the product is designed and how profoundly perfect it fits alongside such a futuristic designed vehicle.

The post This Range Extender In The Shape of a Jerrycan Could End Range Anxiety appeared first on VR World.

Plenty of rumors have been floating around the T-14 Armata, Russia’s new main battle tank design. Overall, the tank should be a completely new platform. It will also be a first new one since the introduction of the T-72 and also a completely new approach to tank design by the Russian military.

Earlier today, a video surfaced showcasing what is possibly the  new tank. With the Armata scheduled to make its first public appearance at the May 9th Victory Parade, this might be the first look of this vehicle afforded to the general public worldwide.

The tank looks utterly modern. It features seven road wheels last seen on the now defunct Black Eagle tank prototype of the past. The tank also features a turret bustle. This is probably casing the tanks main ammo. While this may be a big step forward in terms of crew safety for the Russian military, it also means the tank will be longer as well.

Russian tanks have a bad habit of cooking off when hit by anti tank weapons. This means that when a tank is hit, the ammunition and propellant store inside the tank and the autoloader would cook off due to the immense heat or simply being pierced by the melting metal from Armour-piercing discarding sabot (APDS) or similar ammo penetrating the inside of the tank. With a turret bustle (found on many contemporary western tanks like the M1A1 Abrams) the ammunition is stored in a safe compartment in the rear of the tank. This removes any high-explosive contents sans the round in the gun from inside of the actual interior of the tanks themselves.

Overall, the tank seen in this video is longer than contemporary Russian designs, warranting the probability rectifying any past issues with the tanks like the T-72 in service with the Russian military. This tank is also seen without the sideskirts and any ERA modules, as it is either tested or prepared for transportation.

The video above was probably shot at the location of the Uralvagonzavod factory. This is a road where tanks are taken for testing and/or transportation, so you might want to check out the Google Streetview showcase of it.

Russian military announced that the Armata would make its public debut at the Victory Day parade alongside some other, high-profile and profoundly interesting pieces of brand new military tech. In the past few years, the Russian military embarked on a high-spending path of modernizing their forces that has resulted in a complete overhaul of their ground, air and naval forces in certain aspects, creating a renewed threat to the Western nations and their military capabilities. The introduction of a new tank, self propelled guns, airplanes and combat navy ships is scheduled to be completed, adding a much better punch to the Soviets Russians overall.

The “Armata” Universal Combat Platform is a Russian prototype of an advanced next generation heavy military tracked vehicle platform. It is, in reality, a basis for a a main battle tank, a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, a combat engineering vehicle, an armoured recovery vehicle, a heavy armoured personnel carrier, a tank support combat vehicle and several types of self-propelled artillery under the same codename based on the same chassis. It should also provide the basis for for artillery, anti air-craft defense systems and NBC defense systems.

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The newest  iPhone has been one of Apple’s (NASDAQ: APPL) best-selling smartphones yet. We didn’t have to wait long for fully customized Apple iPhone 6 models to come out. This one, coming from Vorsteiner features a pure gold outer skin created by Gold & CO London. The fully functional mobile device now features a highly luxurious exterior added, allowing the owners in the higher income ranges to even further adhere to their personal choices and requests.

Working with several prominent luxury companies, the London based customizer has created some rather stunning showcases of their work (remember the modified BMW F82 M4 we wrote about a few weeks earlier). This, done for a high-performance and high-quality aftermarket aero parts company Vorsteiner, features the same level of expertise and allure as their other work. Gold & Co. London’s 2014 iPhone 6 range is available for order in multiple finishes ranging from 24kt Gold, rose gold, black gold, Platinum and carbon fiber.

The iPhone does look remarkable with the golden exterior, but some may find it over-the-top in certain ways. Regardless of personal opinions, the phone seen here is a clear-cut example of where the world of luxury hand-held devices is going and we’ll be there to report these to you right away. Check out the media gallery showcasing this device right below.

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After four successful entries in the franchise, it’s time to reveal yet another showcase of spy stuff, gadgets, vehicles, characters, technology and explosions, all wrapped into approximately two hours of great fun.

Mission Impossible Rogue Nation heads to theaters on July 31st. It will feature Tom Cruise playing the lead role, the Ethan Hunt man of danger, spearheading the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) which was disbanded and neglected by vengeful Washington bureaucrats such as the CIA chief.

The plot revolves around Hunt and his team of spies (Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and newcomer Rebecca Ferguson) taking on the secretive and shadowy organization called the Syndicate, lead by the yet even more shadowy type of a main character – played by Sean Harris (we don’t know his character’s name for now). The trailer is actually a teaser for a trailer that will be released later today.

The release date for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation has been pushed forward by a few months. The movie was supposed to be released on December 25th but that would battle the new installment of Star Wars saga, creating a rather difficult situation for both movies it seems. The July 31st timeline is fine by us though! It gives this summer yet another blockbuster to look forward to. Check out the trailer below.

UPDATE – Full trailer has been released, check it out down below. Enjoy it!

The post Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation Trailer Is All Kinds Of Awesome appeared first on VR World.

Whether you like it or not, the B-2 bomber is probably the only stealth bomber that will stay that way for a long, long time.

Even though we’re seeing plenty of stealth technology being implemented, the sheer scale and size of the B-2 is overwhelming. It has the capacity to carry close to 40,000 lbs of ordnance. This includes the B61 and B83 nuclear bombs; the AGM-129 ACM cruise missile was also intended for use on the B-2 platform. Some people may argue that newer Russian bomber designs will have similar capabilities, I wouldn’t agree. Not for the fact that Russian bombers wont be able to provide the same (or greater) amount of stealth or carry the similar ordnance packages, the deployment of stand-off weapons like cruise missiles is what Russian air-force is putting a big emphasis on these days.

The B-2 is capable of all-altitude attack missions up to 50,000 feet (15,000 m), with a range of more than 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) on internal fuel and over 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km) with one midair refueling. The last part is the main theme of this video, ensuring the public stays rather profoundly interested in these air-planes, somebody at U.S. DoD released a rather interesting showcase of the bomber’s capabilities.

As stealth is the main aspect of this airplanes, the retractable fuel cover that seemingly vanishes into pin-point precision alignment with the rest of the bomber’s exterior skin is simply staggering. It seems like the bomber is alive and the part once open to receive a bunch of fuel – simply joins with its exterior shell almost without a single line being seen. To see how this thing works, please take a look at the video shown below.

Images: First B-2 Image by U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis III, second B-2 image by USAF

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As the Russian Airforce is deploying its TU-22M3 ‘Backfire’ aircraft into the recently incorporated area that is Crimea, there are several things changing for the NATO and other military forces in the region. While the political situation has everything to do with these being added to the might of the Russian air and sea fleet over there, the relevance to the whole situation is not that important at all. The idea behind this is to show how the Russian military, albeit strapped for cash in more ways than one since the Soviet Union took a nose dive, does have more than capable military hardware to mess up plans for United States Navy, let alone some other, smaller forces around the world that are part of NATO for example.

What the TU-22M deployment means

The TU-22M was part of Russia’s quest for a strategic bomber, capable of carrying more than enough firepower to make any military or navy cringe. This swept-wing strategic bomber might look rugged and rather simplistic in shape (compared to modern day western bombers), but this supersonic beast has all the firepower to mess up any navy captain’s day in a hurry.

The Tupolev Tu-22M (Russian: Туполев Ту-22М; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau. Significant numbers remain in service with the Russian Air Force, and as of 2014 more than 100 Tu-22M are in use. Several are now modernized into the TU-22M3 version, allowing for all sorts of goodies like upgraded avionics, Shompol side looking airborne radar and other ELINT (electronic intelligence) equipment. Just what the doctor ordered, specially in today’s naval warfare: ELINT

Stick to the skies

The title says it all: the Russian airforce and navy never really bothered with countering United States Navy in carrier might. Simply, there was no reason to do that. On the other hand, they had more than enough firepower to protect themselves from any and every carrier strike group out there: land based TU-22M airplanes, SLAVA class missile cruisers and other, preferably missile equipped vessels (above and beyond the surface) like the Kirov class battlecruiser or the Akula class submarines. The main idea behind this was to use their supersonic and hypersonic missiles, but also cruise missiles, all in the idea to destroy a U.S. naval carrier and eventually (after the carrier destruction, when the air power is defeated) the rest of the support group as well.

The TU-22M was well countered by the usage of the F-14 Tomcat air wings, found on the aircraft carriers for the duration of the cold war, providing air cover for the fleet ships overall. These, with enough range and the Phoenix missile, could engage the Mach 1.6 capable strike groups of the said plane with a great deal of effect at distance that allowed to carrier group to stay safe entirely. The Tomcat is (sadly) long gone from the carriers. Replaced by the capable (albeit not in the same way realistically) F/A 18 Hornet for the defense and attack capabilities.

This means that the carrier groups, even though shielded by the AEGIS on board navy ships, still lacks the stand-off defense capability, offered by the F-14 Tomcat and the above mentioned Phoenix missile. Anything carried by the F/A 18 Hornet, in terms of air-to-air missiles, cannot combat these air squadrons before they launch their deadly contents on the groups. This, when the carrier attack group discovered the incoming bogies of any type, could engage these at distance, thanks to the missile available, projected range and overall, with greater efficiency as well.

The logic stands, where the TU-22M would dash along the Russian borders, achieve its top speed, launch its BVR missiles at the carriers, then scoot back to safety of the Russian airforce’s anti-air and other protection capabilities that would grant it safety after the attack happened. While the carrier or any other navy cluster of vessels does have anti-aircraft capabilities, deploying a swarm of either one of the anti-ship stuff found in Russian inventory would be a tough pill to swallow for any CIWS or other means of defense within the ships present.

Flight of the Phoenix

There’s one lethal counter to the TU-22M: the AIM-54 Phoenix. The AIM-54 Phoenix is a radar-guided, long-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only launch platform. With several guidance modes, the Phoenix is a worthy opponent and a classy match for Russia’s strategic bomber force – primarily the TU-22M and TU-160 airplanes then. The Phoenix achieves its longest range by using mid-course updates from the F-14A/B AWG-9 radar (APG-71 radar in the F-14D) as it climbs to cruise between 80,000 ft (24,000 m) and 100,000 ft (30,000 m) at close to Mach 5. The Phoenix uses this high altitude to gain gravitational potential energy, which is later converted into kinetic energy as the missile dives at high velocity towards its target. At around 11 miles (18 km) from the target, the missile activates its own radar to provide terminal guidance.

The minimum engagement range (the minimal distance for the missile to hit the target efficiently) for the Phoenix is around 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) and active homing would initiate upon launch. With an operational range of up to 190 kilometers, this would prove to be a better fit to target combat aircraft coming in from Crimean air bases.

Denial of the seas

How is this possible? The Russians, as stated earlier, always liked to counter the US Navy and its carrier forces with anti ship missiles. With the TU-22M, there are two significant aircraft based anti-ship missiles used.

These are the fastest anti-ship missile in service today, the Kh-15, NATO name ‘Kickback’ which can plow in to an altitude of about 40,000 m (130,000 ft) and then dives in on the target, accelerating to a speed of about Mach 5, which makes it the fastest aircraft-launched missile to date. Some believe that even without it’s high-explosive contents it would still do a lot of damage to the ships with kinetic energy alone. With a 300 kilometer operational range, there isn’t anything the current air wing airplanes found on the US Navy carriers can throw at them, before they launch their missiles – when you count in the distance to target seen there.

The second one is the The Raduga Kh-22, NATO name ‘Kitchen’ that is a cruise missile, a ship destroying thingie that flies in at mach 4.6 to its target.

The Kh-22 uses an Isayev liquid-fuel rocket engine, fueled with TG-02 (Tonka-250) and IRFNA (inhibited red fuming nitric acid), giving it a maximum speed of Mach 4.6 and a range of up to 600 km (320 nmi). It can be launched in either high-altitude or low-altitude mode. Both modes can be used in a swarm type of an event, allowing several TU-22M bombers to launch their missiles in various modes and overwhelming a possible target. In high-altitude mode, it climbs to an altitude of 27,000 m (89,000 ft) and makes a high-speed dive into the target, with a terminal speed of about Mach 4.6. In low-altitude mode, it climbs to 12,000 m (39,000 ft) and makes a shallow dive at about Mach 3.5, making the final approach at an altitude under 500 m (1,600 ft).

The missile is guided by a gyro-stabilized autopilot in conjunction with a radio altimeter. With, let’s say six of the TU-22M’s attacking the particular navy group, this would mean that each carries four of these, totaling 24 missiles headed in various configurations, probably overwhelming any CIWS it encounters. if both the high-altitude and low-altitude modes are used, the ships and their defenses might prove to be overmatched for the swarm of missiles headed into their hulls that way.

This means that, with swarms of TU-22M’s hurdling at 1.6 mach, unleashing either the long range or short range anti-ship missiles, any and every carrier battlegroup would be pressed to combat these attacks. In other words regarding this, that the current Black Sea deployment from NATO, consisting of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNGM2) vessels the flagship USS Vicksburg (CG 69), HMCS Fredericton (FFH 337), TCG Turgutreis (F 241), FGS Spessart (A 1442), ITS Aliseo (F 574) and ROS Regina Maria (F 222), might be too little too late to combat Russia’s power over there. With the probable Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines lurking around, all armed with similar destructive means, the overall firepower the Soviets Russians are capable of launching at any NATO task group – is impressive.

In a way, the Black Sea security situation changed quite a bit with the introduction of these weapon systems, entirely changing the possibilities of any country, even the United States to engage Russian targets in that area. With the geographical situation making the Black Sea Russia’s own little pond, these airplanes, together with the naval might of the Black Sea fleet together with these weapon impacting the strategic relations, might provide the naysayers with the final shut up about the Russian military power alltogether. At least in this aspect.

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One might rethink my sanity as this is certainly not a sports related website. One might even deduct this as a day I really have nothing better to do, than to reminiscent of a day twenty years ago, when I was just a small kid, eyeing every (then available) media out there. But, if this two worded announcement was released today, it would be garnered by literally billions of people around the world. Those two words I am talking about are Michael Jordan’s “I’m back” statement. Something, in all its simplicity, minimalism and genius, echoed throughout. Even though there wasn’t a social media network for years to come.

In a world where everything gets through to millions, we seem to forget that exactly twenty years ago something similar happened. Albeit with a small degree of electronic help, it did go around the world through the media available back then. Yes, television, radio and above all, the newspapers were the primary bearer of Jordan’s famous two-line statement that brought joy to millions of fans around the world in a matter of hours. A feat by itself!

Today, when Jordan would probably be on Twitter, have a Facebook fan page and an Instagram account, it would probably be one of the most retweeted/shared/liked things posted thus far. On the other hand, back when Jordan was playing, the media only concentrated on the best. Not everyone and anyone.

This means that today’s social media frenzy all over, albeit rather positive, brings out a lot of negative with it as well. Plenty of people who don’t deserve to be put on the pedestal are placed there. Plenty of people who definitely deserve praise, get only a minuscule amount of it – probably thanks to the overburdened minds and comprehensive abilities of many. Whether you agree or not, the Jordan coming back statement was a predecessor of many of today’s Twitter announcements, Facebook posts and overall, a template for garnering a lot of attention with as little info as possible. Let’s just see what and how will this day be remembered, some twenty years in the future. Hope it’s as awesome as this!

Image: Esparta Palma

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The 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was named a 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Car Under $25,000 by Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com.

The site in question is one of the highly regarded sources of information about car quality and impressions on world’s widest selection of vehicles. They offer pricing information for new and used cars. Also, they are the source of a wide range of guides, helping customers deal with nagging problems in purchasing a used vehicle as well. With this in mind, naming the The 2015 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid a 10 Most Fuel-Efficient Car Under $25,000 by the same source, poses a great deal of praise for the Korean car maker, specially in the eco-friendly field of such vehicles.

The 2015 Hyundai Sonara Hybrid offers an industry-exclusive Hybrid Lifetime Battery Warranty, and a EPA-estimated 40 mpg highway rating. The car saw no increase in pricing, compared to the 2014 model. Practical, yet efficient, it is a rather interesting choice for families who want to keep their fuel bills as low as possible. But overall, the car offers the practicality needed in the segment as well.

“The Sonata Hybrid not only provides consumers value with class-leading technology and design, but also alleviates price pain at the pump,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of corporate and product planning, Hyundai Motor America in a statement. “Hyundai is committed to be a leader in alternative fuel vehicles and to increase our green footprint across our lineup.”

The 2015 Sonata Hybrid features an electric motor coupled to the 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. The vehicle uses all-electric mode during optimal moments such as driving on a highway, while keeping the gasoline engine idle until circumstances are necessary for it to be included int he power delivery. This means that the car can save the additional power for acceleration and heavier climbs for example, while keeping the steady, comforting and event free highway runs on EV power alone, saving fuel in the process and providing improved efficiency and saving money for their owners.

“The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid offers all the upscale feel and luxury features of the conventionally powered Sonata, but with the added benefits of a transparent hybrid drive system that delivers exceptional fuel economy,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director, KBB.com. “The fact that the model also offers an exceptionally long warranty is the cherry atop the sundae.”

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Earlier today, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB)  unveiled Facebook Payments to allow friends to send free friend-to-friend payments over the social network messages. This service can be seen as the direct response by the largest social media network in the world, all to the likes of Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, unveiled a few months earlier. It also shows how the financial sector is developing rapidly, all without much input from the older well-established companies in the sector recently.

The first time you send or receive money in Messenger, you’ll need to add a Visa or MasterCard debit card issued by a US bank to your account. Once you add a debit card, you can create a PIN to provide additional security the next time you send money. On iOS devices you can also enable Touch ID. As always, you can add another layer of authentication to your account at any time. The payment system lets you just tap a “$” button to send some of your friends money on iOS, Android, and desktop messenger applications, all with zero fees. Facebook Messenger payments will roll out first in the U.S. over the coming months.

European and Asian users will have to wait for Facebook to roll out the service to them. In accordance to recent developments in the sector, this serves as a reminder how quickly things can revolutionize in certain areas overall. This Facebook payment system will undoubtedly have a great argument for a choice between similar payment systems worldwide.

If Facebook can work out an agreement with European Union law makers, this could very well mean the payment system becomes one of the most popular money transfer systems out there. The zero fee approach is offset by companies paying a certain fee when payments are made with this system. Facebook may have a different approach to this aspect, but we believe this will be what the social network does in the future for this issue. While intended for friends, we can see a great deal of use by possible client to client transfers, but more importantly later we can expect this payment system to roll out for companies too.

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There are several high-profile companies developing high-performance and high-quality aftermarket products in the automotive world. Vorsteiner, being one of them, recently revamped its Flow Forged wheel line.

These wheels are highly coveted in the automotive world, as they bring the lightweight configuration with the less impacting price tag – a perfect choice for performance vehicle owners. The selection of possible applications, alongside the available finishes, make for a great deal of choices when it comes to these wheels overall.

As you may know, the Audi S5 Coupé uses the 3.0L Supercharged V6 TFSI engine producing 329 horsepower in its standard configuration for this vehicle. It is a further development of the highly popular engine. This powerplant is already found in the S5 Cabriolet and Sportback, which is also shared with the 2010 Audi S4 3.0 TFSI quattro sedan and avant. This engine is a development of the same powerplant done for the Audi S5 Coupé, where Audi left out the naturally aspirated V8 powerplant previously installed. This is done to accommodate strict emission regulations, but also combat the high fuel consumption of that particular engine as well.

The other major change (compared to the V6 TFSI engine found in the Sedan and Avant) under the bonnet is the introduction of stop-start technology for better fuel efficiency. According to the official info from Audi, owners can expect to achieve an average fuel economy of 8.9 litres/100 km (compared to the current 12.6 litres/100 km in the V8 coupe and 10.7 litres/100 km in the Cabriolet).

The Audi S5 we have in front of us has been equipped with a set of Vorsteiner V-FF 104 wheels. This is a limited run wheel lineup, dedicated to fulfill the needs of high-performance builds like this one here. These wheels are sized 20×10 front and rear respectively. They come with a Mercury Silver finish. The five-spoke design is clean, works wonders for the exterior of the Audi S5, but it also produces a rather impressive performance upgrade, thanks to their lightweight construction and design.

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