2015 Honda Civic Type R

Sadly, the Car and Driver time machine was irreparably damaged recently in an attempt to go back to 1982 and uninvent the Cadillac Cimarron. But let’s imagine for a moment it’s still working, and that we can use it to send this brand-new Honda Civic Type R 10 years into the past.

There’s no doubt that the car itself would be a sensation. This is a 300-plus-hp, front-wheel-drive hatchback that’s capable of lapping the Nürburgring Nordschleife in less than eight minutes—and with styling seemingly inspired by the body armor of an Imperial stormtrooper. Yet the R would also have been highly controversial for being turbocharged back when the Honda brand was still practically fetishizing natural aspiration. So the question for 2015 is whether the ends really justify the means.

First we need to make the sad acknowledgement that this is a review of some sweet-tasting forbidden fruit. The Euro-spec Civic Type R won’t be coming to the U.S. soon or ever. But this isn’t just another entry in our continuing series of Awesome Cars that Automakers Deny Us, because Honda will admit that this Type R is dropping some very broad hints about what we can expect from the U.S.-spec version of the next-gen model. Yes, that Type R has already been confirmed for American sale in the near future, and it almost certainly will use the same Ohio-built turbocharged engine.

Bringing us back to the big issue: Is this a good idea? The growing ubiquity of forced induction among small-capacity engines means the idea of a turbocharged Honda isn’t as shocking as it would have been a decade ago, but it still stands out as radically different. Outside Japan, the only turbocharged gasoline engine Honda has ever brought to market was the one fitted to the first-generation Acura RDX. And with so much of the character of earlier Type R models derived from the linearity of their power delivery and their ravenous enthusiasm for revs, the big concern is that this new turbocharged engine is going to be a very blunt weapon in comparison.


The specific output is certainly impressive. A total of 306 horsepower from a 2.0-liter four puts the Civic’s engine just slightly above the brawny, 292-hp version of Volkswagen’s EA888 TSI engine, as fitted to the Audi S3 and the Golf R. Indeed, it practically matches the output of the BMW M235i with two fewer cylinders and 50 percent less displacement. The engine features a small single-scroll turbocharger and a VTEC variable valve-timing system that will overlap exhaust and inlet slightly to reduce turbine lag. Much is made of the engine’s ability to rev to a 7000-rpm redline, with peak power coming online at 6500 rpm, but that ceiling is a full 1000 rpm lower than managed by the last Civic Type R.

The output is shuttled to the front wheels via a standard six-speed manual gearbox—there are no plans for any other transmission option—and a mechanical limited-slip differential. The front suspension struts get separate steering knuckles (similar in principle to the GM HiPer Strut and Ford RevoKnuckle) in a bid to reduce torque steer. Two-stage switchable dampers are also standard, with these and various other dynamic functions falling under the control of a mood-shifting “+R” button that’s claimed to sharpen the Type R for track use.

That comes later, but we make initial acquaintance on the busy streets of the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. And it’s immediately clear the Type R’s dynamic character is nearly as outgoing as its design. The chassis feels impressively pliant when asked to deal with broken city blacktop, but even at low speed the engine feels turbocharged. Very turbocharged. Initial response is keen enough, there’s no lag between pressing the throttle pedal and feeling the engine respond. But there’s then a noticeable pause before the turbo spools up fully. Even with a reasonable number showing on the rev counter there’s a proper one-one-thousand pause before the full boost arrives. There’s lots of torque, of course, not a characteristic that defined any previous Type R, and the gearshift has a predictably nice mechanical action. Honda claims the 1.6-inch throw across the gate is one of the shortest on the market.

There are absolutely no doubts on the performance claims. Having once seen Midnight Express, we stay in close proximity to speed limits when driving anywhere east of Germany, but a less-imaginative colleague from another title reported seeing an indicated 168 mph on a quiet stretch of divided highway. The R drones at cruising speed, with some low-frequency harmonics from the sports exhaust, but once the turbo is spinning the engine pulls solidly all the way to the limiter, the arrival of which is flagged by a sequence of LEDs that light on top of the instrument binnacle.

We get to cross the Austrian border without stopping. The former Iron Curtain is now marked by nothing more than signs and ramshackle customs sheds. And then, shortly afterward, the route takes us onto some proper mountain roads. The Type R’s steering has been set up to make it feel responsive, and the initial turn-in is sharp enough to get us thinking of metaphors involving surgical instruments. It dives toward apexes with just a few degrees of steering input, Honda’s Agile Handling Assist torque-vectoring system also applying light braking pressure to the inner wheel to quicken things up further.


The new front suspension seems to work—despite the abundance of torque, there’s very little torque steer, even over rough surfaces. And as the front tires start to run out of grip, the mechanical LSD can be felt doing its thing and trying to pull the car back onto your chosen line. The brakes work well, the pedal weighting is good and it’s well positioned for heel-and-toe rev-matching. In short, it’s a very proper hot hatch.

But it’s also short on finesse. Neither of the two previous European Civic Type Rs would stand the faintest chance of being able to keep up with this one in a straight fight, but each also offered the chance to revel in both their linear power and the never-grow-bored moment when their VTEC cams shifted to the more aggressive profile. Comparatively, the new car feels brutish, especially in +R mode, which further sharpens the throttle response and turns the dampers up to at least 11.

Honda also lays on some time at the Automotodróm Slovakia Ring and the chance to take the Type R for a few laps. Most of what’s true on road proves equally so on the circuit, although the higher speeds of the track make the engine feel slightly breathless as the limiter approaches. The Type R turns and grips extremely well, the differential and stability-control system working together to fight understeer in the slower turns. We also confirm that cornering lines can be influenced instinctively by easing the throttle pedal. It’s at home here, as its Nürburgring time suggests it should be.

The Type R needs to be seen in the context of Europe’s current crop of similarly powerful megahatches. It’s priced hard against rivals like the Golf R, and in most markets it costs more than the Renault Mégane R.S. 275 that most Euro fanboys will tell you is the current front-drive champion. Hence the need for the powerful turbocharged engine and the importance of that scorching Nordschleife time. You can’t argue with the raw numbers, but the result is a car that lacks some of the fizz that made its predecessors different and special. We leave Slovakia with the suspicion that this Type R might be a better car if it didn’t try quite so hard. That said, we eagerly await its successor’s arrival in America.

Read More

2015 Ferrari California T

Suntanned California has always been a place where people come to experiment with their identity. Thus, the name is perfect for Ferrari’s lowest-priced model, which has been an experiment since it first hit the streets in 2009. It was the first roadgoing Ferrari to put a V-8 in front of its driver and the first with a power-retractable hardtop, and its price and daily practicality took Ferrari on a low pass through the market. It probably should have been a Maserati, as it would have done far more to elevate that brand than it does for Ferrari, but the ball didn’t bounce that way.

Secretive Ferrari won’t say how the ­California sells, but judging by the pletho­ra of low-mileage examples parked on eBay with heavily depreciated prices, the market is perhaps lukewarm. The revamped ­California T—just 14 seconds turns this well-insulated hardtop coupe into a convertible—fixes what may have gone wrong with the old model, including a challenged power-to-weight ratio and styling that evoked a pouting teenager more than the snarling stallions of Maranello.


The T stands for turbo, of course, and in this regard the California, with its twin compressors hanging from a smaller 3.9-liter V-8 with a signature flat-plane crankshaft, is being experimental yet again. This is the first forced-induction street Ferrari since the F40, and so it is the pathfinder for the many turbocharged Ferraris to come, starting with the 488GTB, set to arrive early next year.

The new sheetmetal picks up themes from the F12berlinetta, replacing the soft roundness and elliptical headlights with Ferrari’s newer angular look. That includes more scalloping for ducts and vents, and the droopy black inset panel in back is gone and unlamented, as are the silly stacked pipes that helped heighten the car’s already-tall tush and give it a fake, forced showiness.

The new car’s sleeker form can’t hide the fact that it’s a big machine, being three full inches longer than a Chevy Corvette Stingray, as well as a bit wider, a bit taller, and way heavier at 4064 pounds. Even so, that’s 59 pounds lighter than our last California tester, and there’s 101 more horsepower and 199 more pound-feet of torque to motivate it. Hence, the 60-mph sprint plunges from 3.9 seconds to an astonishing (really, almost unbelievable) 3.3, with a full second knocked off the quarter-mile. And a 0.95-g skidpad perform­ance means there’s more grip to go with the extra kick.

Okay, so it’s finally Ferrari-fast. But a Ferrari has always been less about numbers than about being a crackling Tesla coil spitting lightning bolts. The new direct-injection V-8 barks into combustion, and it sounds every decibel the snarling, pissed-off puma that other Ferraris do. Hidden exhaust flaps somewhere under the car flutter as necessary to uncork and recork the growling on cue.


A Ferrari throttle has always given you precisely what you want, and the California T is, blessedly, no exception. Mat it to elicit the telltale wheeze of the turbos. As the boost builds to its 18.9-psi peak, the revs and power ramp up, but only with the slightest of kinks to the dyno trace. The redheaded V-8 delivers the goods with almost, if not quite, the organic smoothness of the Ferraris in Fangio’s day. It gathers speed in any gear and with haste ­proportionate to the pedal squeeze. The lag is short and glossed over, the V-8 just going when you ask it, exactly at the speed you ask of it. That bodes well for the 488GTB and turbocharged Ferraris yet to be born.

The California also stops with ferocity, but the standard carbon-ceramic brakes proved suppler at city speeds than others we’ve tried, behaving like iron brakes in all the best ways. With 47 percent of its weight on the front axle, the California T is rightly balanced and the steering reflects it, aiming the nose into corners with friction-free lubricity and a thrilling subtlety that matches the other controls.

The $5568 you must spend for Magnaride shocks on top of the California’s $202,723 base price is money well used. With it, the California feels as if it has yards of suspension travel over the bumps, yet restrains body roll and understeer when you’re hunting apexes. Here, again, everything is served in proportion to your demand, from steering angles to ride stiffness. One of the great joys in life is piloting this (or any other) Ferrari up a slithering road, top folded, the cylinders wailing an operatic octet as the red LED lights on the steering rim flicker. Voltage? This car produces it with uranium rods.

When you buy a Ferrari, you buy tradition expressed in aromatic panels of French-stitched leather, flat and rigidly firm bucket seats, and a familiar dashboard of simple circles augmented by a few conventional display screens. It’s definitely old school compared with, say, McLaren’s all-suede architectural cockpits, where the touch screens and buttons seem designed in the Infinite Loop. In the California T, a carbon-fiber arch dividing the center console, part of a $7761 carbon dress-up package, is the riskiest design flourish. The rest, from the large analog tach to the data screen next to it, is Ferrari convention.


It takes time, but eventually you appreciate the California’s practicality. Evoking its many years in the F1 coal mine, the busy steering wheel is where Ferrari puts all the old stalk controls. Using the turn signals is as simple as squeezing your palm, the wiper control reduced to a single multiaction button. The manettino knob gives you the choice of comfort, sport, and Mamma Mia mode, which switches off all the aids. A button marked “pit speed” seems a little precious in this, the Ferrari least likely to see a track. Thoughtfully, Ferrari lets you pick sport for the throttle and transmission settings but retain the softer shock setting if your roads aren’t smooth. Go forth and commute.

Unexpected conveniences: folding rear seats that reveal a tunnel into the large trunk for longer items; plenty of console clutter space; radio buttons on the backside of the steering wheel; a USB port. Typical (for an Italian car) inconveniences: the strange infotainment unit; poor radio reception; and a single 12-volt socket far from the windshield. Next year, Ferrari finally offers keyless operation, but for now you still get the vintage red-plastic-encased key that will suitably impress the valets.

Fanatics in red jackets may look down on it, and the option pricing gets silly (21 of its 28 available colors cost $12,486 extra), but the California T is more enthralling than its direct competitors, namely the Aston Martin DB9 and Bentley Continental GTC, and more passionate than the anodyne Porsche 911 Turbo S. It is your daily dose of Ferrari.

Read More

2016 Nissan Maxima

What’s an automaker to do when customers abandon their mid-size sedans in hot pursuit of crossovers and pickups? The smart ones respond with irresistible crossovers and pickup trucks. The brilliant ones do the same without turning a cold shoulder to products they’ve nurtured for decades.

Case in point: Nissan’s new Maxima. With a nameplate that dates back to 1981 and 2.9 million U.S. sales thus far, the eighth-generation Maxima is a sports sedan with rousing performance, in-your-face design, and an interior capable of curing the most festering crossover urge. While other makers dump V-6s to add a hybrid powertrain or an all-wheel-drive option in their family sedans, Nissan is sticking to its Maxima guns with what it once again is touting as “the four-door sports car.”


That’s a stretch given the CVT living between the 300-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and the front wheels, but after a day’s drive near Nissan’s Nashville headquarters, we came away impressed by the effort bestowed upon the brand’s flagship. In spite of the gearless transmission, there’s plenty of fun and four-door utility available here for between $30,000 and $40,000.

The Details
The basic package is a touch longer (by 2.2 inches) and lower (by 1.3) but no wider. The 109.3-inch wheelbase and most of the unibody inevitably will be shared with the new Altima due soon. Thanks to more aluminum and high-strength steel, curb weight is a claimed 82 pounds leaner and torsional rigidity is 25 percent greater. Nissan builds the Maxima in Smyrna, Tennessee, in what it says is the highest-volume plant in North America. (Some 650,000 Altimas, Maximas, Pathfinders, Leafs, Rogues, and Infiniti QX60s are scheduled for this year, plus lithium-ion batteries for the Leaf.)

Most of the parts comprising Nissan’s venerable VQ35 3.5-liter V-6 are new, upping power a touch (to 300 horsepower at 6400 rpm, a 10-hp gain), without changing the torque peak of 261 lb-ft at 4400 rpm. Revisions include sodium-filled exhaust valves, reshaped intake valves, a more efficient intake manifold, and a stiffer oil pan. One notable omission is a move to direct fuel injection; Nissan is saving that worthwhile technology for its presumably more needy turbocharged engines. Engineers hoped EPA highway mileage would climb by 4 mpg to the enviable 30-mpg level, and the EPA has indeed certified the Maxima for 22 mpg city and 30 highway.


Thankfully, there has also been a full frontal attack to reduce the negative characteristics of the Maxima’s Xtronic CVT automatic supplied by Jatco. (Originally Japanese Automatic Transmission Company, it is three-quarters owned by Nissan, with Mitsubishi and Suzuki each having minor stakes.)

A 17-percent increase in the spread between the lowest and highest ratios is the main driver underlying the gain in highway fuel mileage. In addition, the CVT’s lubricating fluid is a thinner viscosity, there’s a smaller hydraulic pump, and the drive belt is a new higher-efficiency design.

Read More

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE-class

When the Mercedes-Benz M-class was launched back in 1997, luxury SUVs were more of a “wait, what?” kind of thing than an idea whose time had come. Lincoln had just introduced the Navigator, while the Cadillac Escalade and the BMW X5 were still incubating. Range Rovers had been around, but here in the U.S., they were known less for their swagger than for their dismal reliability record. Luxury was a sedan thing. Who would want a luxury SUV?

Clearly, the Alabama-built M-class has proved a worthwhile endeavor, Mercedes-Benz boasting of some 1.6 million sold during the last 18 years. Now, the Mercedes SUV family has grown to include three more models, not to mention the long-serving and iconic G-class, prompting a new naming strategy to cut the acronym clutter. Hence, the M-class has become the GLE-class, the better to align it to a known sedan counterpart, the E-class. The swap coincides with the crossover’s midcycle refresh, which also sees it add a new plug-in hybrid and even a “coupe” counterpart (covered separately) to take on the BMW X6.

The exterior update is subtle yet effective. The edges have been sanded off most of the front-end elements, and the taillamps have been redesigned, bringing the whole vehicle more in line with the rest of the Benz family. The interior upgrade is rather more significant, primarily because the updated COMAND system places the control dial under a touch pad, à la 2015 C-class, while a large display screen stands prominently between two giant air vents. The rest of the dash and the door panels are unchanged, but between the new upper-dash components and the sumptuous materials, the cabin looks and feels more upscale than any M-class model’s ever did.

The GLE will be sold in no fewer than five versions in the U.S.—the gas-powered GLE350 and GLE400 models, the GLE300d, the new GLE550e plug-in hybrid (ZEV states only), and the stonkin’ 550- and 577-hp GLE63 AMG models. Unfortunately, our brief drive time through the Austrian mountains was limited to the GLE250d diesel (the name of the GLE300d in other markets) and the GLE550e plug-in hybrid.


A Familiar Diesel
Our initial impressions suggest that, as far as the diesel-powered GLE is concerned, everything we experienced when we tested the ML250 Bluetec a few months ago carries over. The torquey four-cylinder, which produces 201 horsepower and 369 lb-ft, feels quicker than the specs suggest—we saw an 8.3-second zero-to-60-mph time in our testing. All GLE models use a seven-speed automatic transmission, although a new nine-speed unit is available in the coupe.

The ride remains as pillowy as ever with the optional air suspension in comfort mode. Sport mode brings tidier body motions and a bit more communication from the chassis, although the steering remains slow off-center and aloof regardless of the setting. Relaxed as it is, we expect it will be perfectly aligned with most GLE buyers’ expectations; anyone in search of a more sporty luxury-ute experience will probably not even look at a GLE-class unless it wears “GLE63 AMG” badges on the back—that is, if they get past the Porsche store without driving off in a Cayenne.

The M-class always did surprisingly well off-road. But today’s model is even more capable, especially when equipped with knobby off-road tires and the optional On/Off-Road package (which in the U.S. will be offered only on the GLE400). It includes low-range gearing, locking differentials, added underbody protection, and a vehicle-raising function that adds more than an inch of ground clearance. The 360-degree parking cameras also come in rather handy when cresting a ridge without the aid of a spotter. Of course, the typical GLE-class will never see dirt beneath it, but it’s nice to know that, just in case Armageddon falls upon us, or a stalled truck blocks the entrance to Barneys, one can hop a curb and trample the impatiens with aplomb.


A New PHEV
At roughly 5400 pounds, the GLE550e 4MATIC plug-in hybrid is a lot porkier than the GLE300d, but with 436 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque from its combo of a 329-hp V-6 and 114-hp electric motor, it’s much faster. Mercedes estimates a zero-to-62-mph time of 5.3 seconds, which compares rather favorably to Porsche’s 5.4-second estimate of its 416-hp Cayenne S E-Hybrid’s zero-to-60 sprint. Rather more to the point is the hybrid’s ability to travel some 19 miles at speeds up to 81 mph purely on electrons. When left in its default hybrid mode—one of four powertrain settings that also include E-Save, Charge, and electric-only modes—we found that the vehicle cruises along using battery power nearly all of the time, with the gas engine slipping into and out of the picture with the subtlety of a jewel thief. Insofar as silent speed is consistent with luxury—and Tesla has certainly proved that it is—the GLE550e feels pretty spot-on. Consider this a preemptive strike against the Model X.

The bulk of the GLE-class lineup arrives in showrooms in August, at prices ranging from $52,025 to $65,525 for non-AMG versions. (AMG models ring in at $100,875 for the GLE63 AMG and $108,025 for the S model; more pricing info for the lineup can be found here.) We’re still awaiting prices for the plug-in hybrid, which arrives in September, but we’ve been advised, “It won’t be cheap.”

Despite the new name, Mercedes is not really blazing a new trail with the GLE-class, but with an improved interior and a broader model range, it is better able to cover the wide spectrum of the segment it helped create.

Read More

2016 Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV

That’s what we were promised by, of all things, a PowerPoint slide during the presentation of the new 2016 Lamborghini Aventador SV as we geared up for some lap time at Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. It’s not often we see “crazy,” with all it implies, during a press presentation, especially by a company hocking its own product, but there it was.

Lamborghini wasn’t calling the whole car crazy, only the acceleration, but it might as well have been. First off, the SV (which stands for “Superveloce,” or “superfast”) packs the same tune for its V-12 as did the hyperexpensive, only-three-were-sold-to-the-public Veneno. It’s Lambo’s most powerful V-12, and it leverages optimized variable valve timing, a new exhaust system, and a higher redline (now 8500 rpm, up from 8350) to raise output to 740 horsepower at 8400 rpm. Torque remains at the same level as in the non-SV Aventador: 509 lb-ft at 5500 rpm. But while the dorsal-finned Veneno’s calling card was its crazy styling, the Superveloce is intended solely to circle a racetrack as quickly as possible. Which it does, having just lapped the Nürburgring in less than seven minutes. Only a “crazy” car can do that.

Helping matters is the claimed weight loss of 110 pounds. That comes courtesy of composite rear fenders and rocker panels, as well as a manually adjustable carbon-fiber wing and fixed C-pillar aero scoops in place of the electronically actuated wing and scoops on the standard Aventador. There’s also much less sound insulation and carpeting (leaving the sexy carbon-fiber structure largely exposed), plus thinly padded fixed-back carbon-fiber racing seats. Other consequential changes include the fitment of lightweight (and gorgeous) new wheels, lateral strut-type magnetic shocks (a production-car first, says Lamborghini), and variable-ratio steering that reduces lock-to-lock motion, particularly with the drive systems in the most aggressive mode, Corsa.


During our laps on the circuit, the first thing we noticed was the sound, carefully engineered to let in the harmonics of the engine but not the less-desirable transmission chatter. The result is a raw, wicked wail that easily drowned out the directions we were being given over an in-car radio issued by Lamborghini.

Lamborghini test pilota Marco Passerini led us around the track, and he wasn’t shy as a driver (or a person), quickly establishing a rapid pace through Catalunya’s 16 corners. Thanks to the SV’s brilliant Haldex-based all-wheel-drive system and bespoke Pirelli rubber—10 inches wide up front, 14 (!) out back—we didn’t feel the need to be shy, either. Grip is everywhere, and, yes, acceleration is absolutely ballistic. Connecting the turns with full-throttle bursts, we were pinned to the seats; by taking each gear all the way to redline, we regularly saw speeds just below 170 mph at the end of the front straight, usually lifting before the braking point lest we get too up close and personal with Passerini’s (slightly) slower, regular-grade Aventador.

Such explosive acceleration means that corners come up, ahem, super fast. More than once we found ourselves charging into a corner so rapidly we felt sure we were toast, but standing on the massive carbon-ceramic brakes yanked the car down reliably so we could hit our turn-in marks and carve across the apex.

Some credit for the stupefying abilities demonstrated by the car can be issued to the astounding high-speed downforce—up by 170 percent, says Lamborghini—which helps keep those fat Pirellis adhered to the pavement during such pucker-inducing braking. As if to prove the point, we watched the rear of Passerini’s car dance around under full brakes while the rear of our car stayed put.


It took a few corners, however, to get used to the new variable-ratio steering. Between the right-now braking, the proactive magnetic dampers keeping things flat, and the extremely quick steering in Corsa mode, turn-in is so immediate that our first laps included making many minor midcorner corrections. We also toggled between Sport and Corsa modes, finding Sport to be amazing in its own right, but we liked the latter even more once we became acclimated to the steering. Corsa also offers hyperspeed shift times and a more textured ride quality than do the slightly softer Sport and softer-still Strada modes.

Back in the pits, we exited the car with a sort of wonder and appreciation for the world—the violence and rawness of the experience had us feeling like we’d had multiple near-death experiences in the span of 10 minutes. Even after multiple sessions, our internal dialogue remained the same: First: “I’m alive.” Second: “What an awesome car.” Third: “My brain might explode, that was so incredible.”

As is the case with most sports cars, lower mass means better performance. Lower mass also usually means more money, and in Lamborghini terms, the cost is precisely $88,400 more than the non-SV model. Bespoke treatments will jack up the price even more, and only 600 SVs will be built. According to several Lamborghini officials present—including CEO Stephan Winkelmann—a future Aventador SV roadster is “possible.” Wink. Nod. Grin. Got it. Figure on a price point about $50K higher, and about 100 pounds of weight added back in. Might that make it slower? It could. Would it still be crazy? You’re damn skippy.

Read More

2015 Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4

You may know the Nardò Ring as the 7.8-mile asphalt track where the world’s automakers take their top-speed vacations. A traffic-free circular autobahn in the heel of Italy’s boot, the Porsche-owned test track is banked such that you can take your hands off any car’s steering wheel at 149 mph in the outer lane. It’s one of the few places on the planet where Lamborghini’s new 10-cylinder wedge, the Huracán, could prove to us how aerodynamically sound it is approaching its claimed top speed of 202 mph.

We say “could” because the ring is off-limits today. Instead, we’re rifling through Nardò’s other treasure, a 3.9-mile squiggle of asphalt known only as the handling track. Wide enough to field a NASCAR race and technical enough for a Grand Prix, it merits a more pretentious name, so we’ll give it one.


Circuito Internationale Nardò, as we’ll call it, is 16 corners of sweepers, hairpins, and flyers that make it a perfect place to inspect Lamborghini’s new runt and its 602-hp, anything-but-runty V-10. Halfway around the track, you crest a small rise that reveals a heart-stopping panorama stretching to the horizon. The land falls all the way to the Ionian Sea, creating the illusion that a wrong move could send the Huracán sliding nearly two miles into the drink.

A car with this much drama and this much speed doesn’t let your pulse rest for long. The Huracán corners flat, grips doggedly, and blitzes out of bends. But it keeps your heart rate from fully redlining by being just as precise and predictable as it is explosive. There’s more understeer in this four-wheel-drive Huracán than elsewhere in the mid-engine stratum, but it’s hardly the frightening push of some past Lambos. Trail the brakes or lift in a corner and the aluminum-and-carbon-fiber space frame willingly changes direction. The brakes bite ­progressively, with some of the best modulation we’ve experienced from carbon-ceramic discs. Pirelli P Zero rubber sinks claws into the pavement to produce ­cornering grip of 1.01 g’s and a 70-to-0-mph stopping distance of just 144 feet. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, Lam­bor­ghini’s first such transmission, executes ruthless, premeditated gear­changes. You don’t miss turbochargers when you have 10 ­cylinders inflating a torque curve to such a healthy level, either.


According to our tests, the baby Lambo is quicker than not just the Ferrari 458 Italia but also its big brother, Lambo's Aventador.
Lamborghinis once had a reputation for being fast in a straight line and clunky in corners. This car is fast everywhere, though our test gear confirmed that this Huracán is freakishly quick in a straight line. We ripped to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and burst through the quarter-mile in 10.4 seconds at 135 mph. Forget the comparable Ferraris and McLarens—they’re eating the Huracán’s dust. In fact, the little Lambo even knocks off the Porsche 911 Turbo S, a computerized acceleration kill-bot and another bright satellite in the VW universe. This thing is Veyron quick.

But the real drama lies closer to home as the Huracán, base price of $241,945, beats the $404,195 Lamborghini Aventador in the critical acceleration measures by a half-second. You still have to buy the expensive one, however, if you want doors that open up rather than out. Seems worth it, no?


Our Huracán demands a break after 55 miles of Nardò’s handling track. The water-temperature needle nips at the red, and the digital instrument cluster begs us to have mercy on the transmission. When a cool-down lap yields no relief, we pit. The 5.2-liter decachord behind the seats snorts steam through its air intakes and the slatted engine cover, enveloping the rear half of the car in a sweet-smelling ethylene-glycol fog.

The popular story line holds that the newest bulls mark a monumental shift for Lamborghini and its relationship with Audi; that the Germans have gone down to where the wild things are and tamed one and made it their own. The blown coolant hose is only the first indication that this Lamborghini is still very much Italian.

Another Huracán—color-matched and identically equipped for just such a contingency—appears for us just as our allotted track time expires. We head south, following the sapphire sea where it laps postcard beaches, the wild, natural beauty a stark contrast to ugly clusters of seemingly abandoned, half-finished homes. The construction is largely unpermitted, says Lambo press boss Raffaello Porro, with structures built in phases as the owners accrue the necessary funds. Scrappy, rules-be-damned solipsism is emblematic of the “mental anarchy and individuality of Italians,” he says.

Was he talking about houses or Lamborghinis? Even as Sant’Agata explores refinement and subtlety with Audi’s cash, the Huracán is still all angles and ostentation, a 10-cylinder thunderhead crackling across the landscape with snap-bang upshifts, extravagant ergonomics, and superlegal capabilities. It’s still loud, fast, and violent. It’s still anarchy.


Italian individualism explains how Ferrari can reside just 25 miles away and develop radically different answers to the same questions. The Huracán doesn’t have the finesse of a 458 Italia, but then the Ferrari doesn’t have the Lamborghini’s outsized personality.

While Audi’s four rings are cast into the suspension members, the Lamborghini has far less compliance than an R8. As with the Aventador, the Huracán’s suspension travel feels as if it’s measured in a scant few millimeters. Holding the weight to just 3423 pounds means our test car was light on optional equipment; no magnetorheological dampers to smooth the swells in the road. Limestone brick roads such as those in the quaint medieval downtown of Gallipoli are hard on the car and harder on the driver. The fixed-back, carbon-shell sport seat (a late-availability option in the U.S.) forces you into an upright position that suggests the seat is perched higher than it is. The navigation and audio equipment is Audi MMI–spec, but the display is rendered at half the usual size and plopped in the lower-right corner of the digital instrument cluster, making it difficult to read.


The biggest nod to sensibility is the new dual-clutch transmission. You already know it as the S tronic gearbox in the Audi R8, but here it’s called Lamborghini Doppia Frizione. When the Aventador arrived in 2012, Lamborghini touted its antiquated single-clutch transmission as “the world’s most emotional gear shift,” a rosy euphemism for gaping torque holes, abrupt shifts, and erratic low-speed behavior.

The dual-clutch cures all that, juggling seven closely spaced ratios with flawless logic. As you toggle the steering-wheel-mounted “ANIMA,” or mode selector, from strada to sport, gearchanges quicken and intensify until, in corsa mode, full-throttle upshifts cause your head to bounce off the seatback. The engine’s timbre gets angrier and the steering grows heavy. Launch control ratchets the V-10 to 4200 rpm before ruthlessly dropping the clutch. The Huracán will upshift automatically at redline, but not before running into the limiter for a fraction of a second. Using the paddles to call for earlier shifts knocks a tenth, sometimes two tenths, off the figures.

That’s a reassuring feeling—the notion that Lamborghini might favor a brutal shift over a faster one. It’s confirmation that the company hasn’t lost sight of what sets it apart: a touch of rawness. Spectacular as they are, the Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren 650S don’t need to be copied. The fewer concessions to drivability found in the Huracán’s katana-sharp handling, scorching acceleration, and—since we’re obliged to take Lamborghini’s word for it—202-mph top speed only make the car that much more alive.

Read More

2015 Ferrari 458

The “A” in the new Ferrari 458 Speciale A’s name doesn’t stand for “awesome,” but it could. The “A” actually is for Aperta, the Italian word for “open.” Based, of course, on the 458 Italia, this version of the 458 Spider gets the same special upgrades as the transcendent Speciale coupe.

That means 597 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque from the naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V-8—it hasn’t gone turbocharged yet—making it the most powerful spider ever to emerge from Maranello. The power increase comes courtesy of a 14:1 compression ratio, a new manifold and airbox rendered from carbon fiber, higher lift for both the intake and exhaust valves, new pistons, and reworked intake runners and ports. The gearbox is a revised seven-speed dual-clutch automatic with shifts so quick that they could bend both space and time.


The Speciale A sports an aluminum lid that retracts or raises in just 14 seconds; the price paid for the deployable roof is 110 additional pounds to cart around. Even so, Ferrari estimates that the car will rocket to 62 mph in three seconds flat, but we’d likely be able to break into the twos in a 0-to-60 run with our equipment aboard.

Other carry-overs ported from the fixed-top Speciale include Side Slip Angle Control, the lines of code for which were developed in part for the LaFerrari mega-ultra-hypercar. It aims to measure the car’s slip angle in real time, then adjust the electronic rear differential and stability control based on what it determines to be the optimum slip angle. (Learn more about how it works, as well as myriad suspension, steering, and other chassis upgrades, in our 458 Speciale first drive.)


The A also gets the 458 Speciale’s advanced aerodynamic features, including a flap ahead of the front fascia’s Ferrari logo that sends air under the car to create more rear downforce at high speeds. Spring-loaded doors up front open above 105 mph to divert air from the radiators and through vanes at the corners of the car. The regular Spider’s three-tip central exhaust becomes a pair of wider-set cannons to accommodate a big rear diffuser and a motor-actuated drag-reduction setup that drop from the underside of the rear end to help achieve Vmax. The coupe can hit 202 mph; no figure has been released yet for the A.

The car makes its debut at the 2014 Paris auto show, and just 499 will be built. We’re guessing a big-ol’ chunk of the run has already been spoken for.

Read More

Aston Martin 2015

Aston Martin may have big plans for its future models, but apparently those crafty Brits haven’t finished proliferating their current crop of speedy sexpots. This latest variation on the Aston Martin theme, the 2015 V12 Vantage S roadster, is a particularly savory one that combines the relentless speed of the V12 Vantage S, which we drove last fall, with the exuberant open-air romance that is innate to British roadsters.


If you know anything about the V12 Vantage S coupe, none of these specs will surprise you. The naturally aspirated V-12 makes the same 565 hp at 6750 rpm and 457 lb-ft of torque at 5750 revs in both body styles, and it likewise comes mated solely to Aston’s third-generation seven-speed automated manual, dubbed Sportshift III. The engine provides considerably more scoot than the non-S V12 Vantage roadster that Aston introduced for 2013, which produced “just” 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.

According to Aston Martin, the little two-seater requires a mere 3.9 seconds to hit 60 mph from a stop, 0.1 second longer than the coupe and 0.3 second quicker than its manual-only predecessor, making it the quickest series-production Aston Martin roadster in history. Top speed is a noggin-scalping 201 mph, up a remarkable 11 mph from the original V12 Vantage roadster. Of course, we’ll reserve judgment until we have put it through our testing regimen. We are ready when you are, Aston.


The chassis follows the same sportification program as the coupe, with three-stage adaptive damping, two levels of power-steering assistance, and specially developed carbon-ceramic brakes. A separate Sport mode for the powertrain dials up throttle response, shift speed, and even the sound quality of the new One-77–derived exhaust system.

The best news is that, unlike the original V12 Vantage roadster, the S roadster is coming to the U.S., with deliveries starting in the first quarter of 2015, according to Aston Martin. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but don’t expect much change back from your $200,000 bill.

Read More

Alfa Romeo’s new 4C Spider

Alfa Romeo’s new 4C Spider is not a convertible in the sense that, say, an Aston Martin Vanquish Volante is a convertible. Instead, the flyweight Alfa features a roll-up softtop that can be stashed in the car’s diminutive trunk, leavi

ng just enough room for a slender knapsack and a sack lunch. Alternately, a lift-off carbon-fiber hardtop is available for $3500; this panel is not stowable in the vehicle. The 4C, you see, makes no pretense of practicality.

What the Alfa does make is noise. And while the coupe can be unfortunately boomy and whooshy inside, suffering from nigh-unbearable resonances at certain rpm, the roofless nature of the Spider sends any unfortunate sounds to dissipate into the ether, leaving only the righteous bark of the 237-hp 1.7-liter turbo four.


Inside, the cockpit remains an exercise in forced intimacy. Refuse to take proper care upon ingress and egress, and your head may become forcefully intimate with the carbon-fiber windshield frame. The Spider is, however, slightly fancier than the hardtop in its basest trim—a full-leather interior is standard on the Spider. And thankfully, last year’s inscrutable Parrot-supplied stereo has been discarded in favor of an Alpine head unit, which we can at least figure out how to turn on.

On heaving, patched pavement—the nether regions of Carmel Valley Road, for instance—the high-strung chassis forces the driver to manage the road surface. Chuck it down a smooth road, however, and the (claimed) 2487-pound Spider’s a sweetheart. Apply throttle at a bend’s two-thirds mark, and the grunt builds progressively. You’ll be at full chat by the exit, the rear end will step out ever so slightly and tuck back into line in one smooth, progressive motion. Presto! You’re off down the straightaway, spitting upshifts. We did encounter a bit of spooky lightness hurling the car over the hairy crest on the front straight of Laguna Seca. If you do manage to bend the thing out of shape, it’s easier to reel back in than the short wheelbase, quick steering, and mid-mounted engine might conspire to suggest.

Four decades ago, the first crop of semi-populist European mid-engine cars offered frill-free interiors, a targa-esque roof treatment, and some oddball compromises to make the packages work. While Porsche has worked for 20 years to iron those out, Alfa has taken the opposite tack and left the kinks in. The 4C demands your involvement, whether that’s in removing the roof, figuring out how to pack light for a weekend jaunt, or tossing it through a corner.

Alfa acknowledges that the $65,495 4C will be cross-shopped, although they claim the car has no direct competitor. The only other carbon-fiber car under $100,000, the BMW i3, features a battery pack, a rear seat, and an optional two-cylinder engine. Porsche’s Boxster offers a power-folding top, a naturally aspirated engine, power steering, and is made of less exotic stuff. The closest thing to the Milanese bulldog is the departed Lotus Elise, but the spindly Brit didn’t showcase what FCA supremo Sergio Marchionne so memorably termed a “wop engine.”


But let’s be real here. Zuffenhausen’s good-at-everything-except-cup-holders Boxster is a real competitor. The Boxster S starts at $64,895, a shade lower than the Spider’s base price. Buy a Boxster, and the world will dismiss you as just another dude with a prostate that’s starting to bulge. Splash out for a 4C and they’ll assume you’re having a midlife crisis and go in for a biweekly cologne colonic. You can’t win.

As a track toy, the open Alfa is a fine little thing. As a throwback to the era of cramped, wonky Italian sports cars, it does a passable impression. As a boulevardier? The flinty ride would make effortless profiling on the Meatpacking District’s cobblestones largely impossible. Given that the open roof adds only 22 pounds and offers limitless headroom, though, if you’re going the 4C’s way, go Spider.

Read More

2014 Aston Martin Rapide S

Fall through the looking glass, pass through the wardrobe, hit all the buttons in the Wonkavator, or take the Hogwarts Express one stop past the wizard school and there’s Aston Martin’s updated, five-door Rapide S sports car. It’s engineered for an alternate reality where up is left, down is sideways, rabbits wear top hats, and four-door exotic sports cars are the norm.

It’s an inverted universe where practicality is a burden, beauty always trumps convenience, and a 550-hp 5.9-liter V-12 is considered reasonable and ordinary. The car is a pain in the ass, and wonderful for it.

First seen as a concept back in 2006, the Rapide is an uncompromised sculpture. It’s a dramatic sliver of a car, with a windshield so brutally raked that it’s impossible to see some overhead traffic lights from the driver’s seat, and a fastback roof that would have even Bilbo Baggins ducking to get in through the rear doors. But when it entered production back in 2010 and promptly became sales-proof, the big complaint was that it wasn’t quick enough. In Narnia, 470 horsepower may seem like a lot, but in Car and Driver’s world, that left the regular old Rapide behind muggle-spec competitors like the bulbous Porsche Panamera Turbo S. And Aston’s claimed 5.0-second zero-to-60-mph performance? Nowadays, five seconds is enough time to conquer Middle-earth.


So Aston has rewritten the Rapide fable with the version of the company’s latest AM11 V-12 that debuted in the new Vanquish. The revised block is stuffed with a new crank and capped by new cylinder heads with variable timing on both the intake and exhaust cams and a new “big wing” intake manifold breathing in through 0.2-inch-larger throttle bodies. The re-machined combustion chambers flow better with a slightly increased compression ratio. All that thumps output up to 550 horsepower at a screaming 6750 rpm and 457 pound-feet of peak torque at 5000 rpm with, Aston asserts, significantly better torque production below 4000 rpm. There are no turbos, no superchargers, and no dark arts involved.

To deal with European pedestrian-protection standards, Aston has mounted the engine 0.8 inch lower in its bay?while redesigning the front grille and hood. Throw in LED lighting and 20-inch wheels inside 245/35ZR-20 front and 295/30ZR-20 rear Bridgestone tires, and this is a car that visually punches its own Golden Ticket. That noted, what remains virtually unchanged is Aston’s glue- and rivet-bonded aluminum space-frame architecture, and the rear-mounted six-speed automatic transaxle.


Though the Rapide S has a long, 117.7-inch wheelbase—8.4 inches longer than a Honda Accord sedan’s—the door openings are puny and the roof very low. It’s easier to get onto King’s Cross Platform 9 3/4 bound for Hogwarts than it is to enter the Rapide with one’s dignity intact. It’s an ergonomic wonderland in there, too, with seatbelt anchors sunk down into the seats, seat-adjustment controls mounted on the center tunnel, and narrow footwells. And it’s nearly impossible to see out the back.

But start the beast, and the V-12 roars awake like Aslan the Great Lion. It’s a glorious sound that wipes away the Rapide’s ­deficits. There’s a fine and fancy Bang & Olufsen sound system aboard, but it’s almost criminal to turn it on.

The transmission is controlled by big, round buttons on the center stack that seem to be ripped right off an early 1960s Otis elevator. Put the rear-drive Rapide S in D, and the acceleration is soft and unexciting as the transmission shifts along lazily. But use the shift paddles behind the steering wheel, and the car realigns itself with the fantasy promised by its styling. It thunders to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and rips down the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds at 111 mph. That, however, is still well behind the all-wheel-drive Panamera Turbo S, which makes it to 60 mph in an insane 3.3 seconds and runs the quarter in 11.5 seconds at 122 mph.

But there’s a fundamental difference in character here. The $176,275 Panamera is a grunting, turbocharged tetrapod engorged with low-end torque. It’s so hyper-competent that the driver sometimes feels as if he’s only along for the ride. In contrast, the Rapide S needs to be worked, to be revved hard and let loose to run near its redline. It may not carry as much thrust as the quickest Panamera, but it produces an almost unparalleled sensation of speed.


Thus, reducing the Rapide S down to performance numbers misses the point. Like a British fantasy tale, this is a car girded for the adventure of arriving and the thrill of?leaving. It means feeling a shudder when you hear it approaching, gaping as the doors swing up, and getting goose bumps as the engine growls to life.

Yeah, the driver can feel the Rapide’s structure twist a bit when cornering. It helps to be an elf if you want to be comfortable in the back, and the ride is brutal if the shocks are left in sport mode. And prices start at $202,775 before hitting Aston’s rich options catalog, which means only a veteran Quidditch pro with a fat contract could afford one.

And so far, those are the only people who are buying the Rapide. With the changes, perhaps Aston will find a few more ordinary mortals to fill the seats.

Read More

2015 Aston Martin Vanquish

What is there to say about the 2015 Aston Martin Vanquish that hasn’t already been said? This mildly tweaked version has gained a couple of transmission ratios and some revised damper settings, and there are some natty new color options to pick from, too. But otherwise it remains as before, the ultimate expression of what we’ll call Aston’s “Dr. Bez Era.” And while the most expensive Aston coupe has many admirable qualities, newness is not among them. It sits on the same venerable VH architecture that has underpinned the company’s products since 2004, and it is powered by a development of the same 5.9-liter V-12 that can trace its ancestry back even further. (Thankfully, a new platform is on the way, as are AMG-sourced V-8 engines.)

Ah, but to turn the question around, what really needs to change? The Vanquish sits in a segment where its rivals are newer and faster. But its flaws tend to be the character-enhancing sort that happen when you hand-build a car in tiny volumes. And the Vanquish, as before, does an almost perfect job of being an Aston Martin—big, impeccably styled, slightly old-fashioned. The sort of car you could imagine a dissolute European playboy driving away from a casino as the sun comes up. It delivers to its owners the sort of exclusivity that—by its very definition—you can’t buy. This is a car that makes a Lamborghini Aventador look commonplace, a Ferrari F12berlinetta a default choice.

What’s New, What’s Not
Let’s start with what’s different. That’s pretty much one thing: the new eight-speed automatic transmission. Okay, so this is actually the same ZF gearbox that’s been used in many other sports cars, but to make it fit, Aston has gone to the considerable trouble and expense of reengineering it for the Vanquish’s transaxle layout. And although in the everyday part of the auto industry the arrival of more ratios inevitably signifies an economy boost, here it’s been done to increase performance. The old Vanquish was limited by gearing to a mere 183 mph, but now—with no other mechanical change—it can hit a claimed 201 mph. Yes, in this part of the market, these things matter. (Owners are much less likely to boast about the 2015 Vanquish’s 2-mpg improvement on the EPA highway cycle.)


We didn’t confirm that 201-mph figure, you’ll be unsurprised to hear. On the test track, however, the Vanquish proved that, while it’s among the slower cars in its rarefied segment, it’s definitely no slouch, recording a 3.6-second zero-to-60-mph time and an 8.3-second sprint to 100 mph. On the road, the new transmission feels no different from the last, shifting sensibly when treated like an automatic and doing a good job of hiding the engine’s relative lack of low-end torque. Take control of gear selection via the two metal paddles behind the steering wheel and there’s enough hesitation to confirm you’re still dealing with a torque converter and planetary gearsets rather than dual clutches that engage instantly. But you get used to it quickly.

The 5.9-liter V-12 engine is unchanged from before. So there’s no need to say anything about it.

We’re kidding. It would have been easy to turn this entire story into an overwrought teenage love poem dedicated to the engine’s sonorous charms. Because while the V-12 might not be able to match more-modern rivals on raw power, you will search the world in vain for a more charismatic powerplant. At low revs it burbles like a V-12 should, with a lazy, creamy wuffling that sounds like money. But as soon as you add revs, the noise hardens. Beyond 5000 rpm it’s delivering the sort of resonant wail that might well—if you drove past a cemetery on a Friday the 13th and under a full moon—reanimate several corpses.

But it’s not just the yowling, howling soundtrack that makes the engine special. It’s also the way it responds. The long-travel accelerator delivers without digital delay—there’s no feeling of instructions being processed or turbines gathering momentum. It’s as if there’s an actual cable twisting some actual throttle butterflies. And with no turbos to get in the way, it’s almost perfectly proportional and linear, giving the sense that you can call on the horsepower pretty much one-by-one, and offers responses quick enough to get you looking up metaphors for sharpness. We think that “as truth” is probably the best, so it’s the one that gets used here.


The suspension has been firmed up very slightly compared with the 2014 car. There are slightly stiffer dampers and a fatter rear anti-roll bar. These changes aren’t terribly noticeable; the Vanquish still feels big and heavy when asked to press on and impressively wafty when asked to waft. But it’s an enormously rewarding car to drive as well, and its hydraulic power steering system is an object lesson in what gets lost when you switch to fully electric systems. The fat-rimmed leather steering wheel is direct and responsive, although low geared when compared with the frenetic helm of the Ferrari F12, and it also offers feedback beyond just digitally generated weighting, vibrating over rough surfaces and kicking back over bumps. It’s the sort of stuff that newer systems often filter out as unwanted noise but which help you to feel like you’re part of the feedback loop rather than a distant node.

A GT in the Best Sense
As always, the Vanquish is happiest when asked to digest a serious journey at a high average speed. The cabin lacks the toys and gadgetry of the competition. There’s no touch-sensitive screen, and navigational duties are still handled by a garish display that climbs from the top of the dashboard seemingly straight from 2005. But—once you have it connected to your music device—the audio system sounds great and the seats stay comfortable for long enough that cruising stints are likely to be limited either by your bladder or by the relative smallness of the Vanquish’s 20.6-gallon fuel tank against its thirst for gas. The car’s natural cruising speed is probably about 120 mph, at which point the cabin is still quiet enough for conversation in normal tones.

The Vanquish remains a glorious thing, even if it feels as if it has been out-evolved by the rest of the pack. And yet it has as much character as any of its more-modern competitors—and more than most of them. As much as we’re looking forward to Aston’s brave new era, the company should never lose sight of how to make cars like this.

Read More

Diksi (pilihan kata)

Diksi menurut Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia pusat bahasa Departemen Pendidikan Indonesia adalah pilihan kata yg tepat dan selaras (dalam penggunaannya) untuk mengungkapkan gagasan sehingga diperoleh efek tertentu (seperti yang diharapkan).

Fungsi dari diksi antara lain :
Membuat pembaca atau pendengar mengerti secara benar dan tidak salah paham terhadap apa yang disampaikan oleh pembicara atau penulis.Untuk mencapai target komunikasi yang efektif.
Melambangkan gagasan yang di ekspresikan secara verbal. Membentuk gaya ekspresi gagasan yang tepat (sangat resmi, resmi, tidak resmi) sehingga menyenangkan pendengar atau pembaca.
Diksi terdiri dari delapan elemen yaitu : fonem, silabel, konjungsi, hubungan, kata benda, kata kerja, infleksi, dan uterans.

Berikut membahas makna berupa mendapatkan tujuan :

1.makna Denotasi dan konotasi. Merupakan denotasi merupakan makna yang sesungguhnya yang sesuai dengan pengertian kamus besar bahasa Indonesia. Contoh: kata “miskin”, dalam pengertian denotasi artinya ialah keadaan seseorang yang kurang dalam hal finalsial. Sementara itu makna konotasi yaitu makna lain atau makna yang bukan sebenarnya yang mungkin hanya dapat dimengerti oleh beberapa orang saja yang bersangkutan.

Contoh: kata “alarm” dalam kalimat, “ kamu selalu datang tepat waktu,  alarm jam kamu bagus”.  Kata alarm dalam kalimat tersebut merupakan kata konotasi untuk menunjukkan makna kata “disiplin”.  Kata konotasi yang bertujuan untuk memuji disebut knotasi positif sedangkan konotasi yang mengejek atau menyindir disebut konotasi negatif.

2.makna leksikal dan gramatikal.Yaitu makna yang sesuai dengan hasil observasi atau yang memang nyata dalam kehidupan. Contoh: bakteri Salmonella sp. Menyebabkan penyakit tipus. Sedangkan makna gramatikal yaitu makna kata yang menyatakan makna jamak, menunjukkan suatu jumlah. Contoh: ada buku-buku baru di perpustakaan. Artinya ialah banyak buku baru yang datang di perpustakaan.

3.makna referensial dan nonreferensial. Yang dimaksud dengan makna referensial yaitu kata yang mengacu atau menunjukkan kepada sesuatu. Contoh: buku biologi ada di Rak no. 7. Kata “rak no.&” merupakan frase yang menunjukkan makna referensial. Sedangkan makna nonreferensial adalah kebaikan dari kata referensial. contoh: baru saja aku membaca buku itu, tetapi aku lupa meletakkannya. Kata “tetapi” merupakan kata yang menunjukkan makna nonreferensial.

4.makna konseptual dan asosiatif. Makna konseptual merupakan makna suatu kata yang menunjukkan deskripsi kata tersebut. Contoh: pangeran pergi menunggang unta. Kata “unta” memilki makna konseptual yaitu binatang gurun berkaki empat yang dapat dijadikan sebagai alat transportasi. Sedangkan makna asosiasi merupakan makna kata yang menunjukkan hubungan yang terkait dengan kata tersebut. Contoh: kata merah memiliki hubungan berani sedangkan kata merpati dihubungkan (asosiasi) dengan kesetiaan.

5.makna kata dan istilah. Makna kata akan terlihat jelas ketika kata tersebut digunakan dalam sebuah kalimat. contoh: kata “dingin” dapat berarti mengenai suhu atau cuaca, atau menunjukkan sikap seseorang. Sementara itu makna istilah merupakan makna yang bersifat pasti atau mutlak. Hal ini karena makna istilah hanya digunakan dalam bidang-bidang tertentu. Contoh: kata dingin di atas jika digunakan dalam bidang ilmu pengetahan alam maka memiiki makna pasti menunjukkan suatu suhu.

6.makna kias dan lugas. Makna kias ialah kata atau frase yang biasa digunakan untuk mengatakan makna secara tidak langsung. Biasa digunakan dalam majas atau peribahasa. Contoh: jangan sampai terjerat lintah darat. Frase lintah darat menunjukkan makna kias yang berarti adalah rentenir. Sedangkan makna lugas adalah kebalikan dari makna kias. Artinya dalam makna lugas terang-terangan menyebutkan makna yang sesungguhnya. Contoh: sepertinya hampir semua pejabat negara adalah koruptor.

Dalam memilih diksi harus mempertimbangkan kesesuaian dan ketepatan kata. Perhatikan syarat-syarat berikut untuk menentukan kesesuaian diksi:

1.Hindari pengggunaan bahasa substandar dalam situasi formal. Bahasa standar ialah merupakan tutur bahasa yang biasa digunakan oleh  mereka kalangan menengah ke atas,  atau yang mengenyam pendidikan tinggi. Sementara itu, bahasa nonstrandar kebalikannya, biasa digunakan dalam percakapan sehari-hari orang umum.

2.Menggunakan kata ilmiah dalam kondisi tertentu saja, selebihnya gunakan kata popular. Kata ilmiah merupakan kata yang biasa digunakan dalam tulisan ilmiah atau kata yang jarang digunakan oleh orang-orang awam, hanya kalangan tertentu saja yang menggunakan. Contoh, dalam jurnal ilmiah menggunakan kata ilmiah. Sedangkan ketika berbca maka gunakanlah kata popular, halini karena agar makna yang disampaikan dalam jurnal dapat dimengerti oleh semua pendengar.

3.Hindari jargon yang dapat dibaca oleh publik. Jargon merupakan kalimat atau frase dalam bahasa tertentu yang hanya dimengerti oleh beberapa orang. Oleh karenanya dalam memilih kata hindari jargon karena orang lain belum tentu memahaminya.

4.Hindari pemakaian kata – kata slang. Kata slang merupakan kata non standar yang digunakan dalam percakapan dengan teman sebaya. Pengunaan kata slang saat formal tentu tidaklah baik.

5.Hindari ungkapan-ungkapan yang telah usang

6.Hindari bahasa atau kata artifisial yaitu rangkaian kata yang disusun secara kreatif untuk menimbulkan rasa seni. Contoh: harum bunga mawar terberai terbawa angn sampai ke penciumanku.

7.Hindari penggunaan kata – kata atau kalimat percakapan dalam penulisan.  Hal ini karena kata- kata dalam percakapan merupakan kata nonformal, sehingga tidak baik ketika digunakan saat menulis hal-hal yang bernuansa ilmiah.

Macam macam hubungan makna :

- Sinonim
Merupakan kata-kata yang memiliki persamaan / kemiripan makna. Sinonim sebagai ungkapan (bisa berupa kata, frase, atau kalimat) yang maknanya kurang lebih sama dengan makna ungkapan lain. Contoh: Kata buruk dan jelek, mati dan wafat.

- Antonim.
Merupakan ungkapan (berupa kata, frase, atau kalimat) yang maknanya dianggap kebalikan dari makna /ungkapan lain. Contoh: Kata bagus berantonim dengan kata buruk; kata besar berantonim dengan kata kecil.

- Polisemi.
Adalah sebagai satuan bahasa (terutama kata atau frase) yang memiliki makna lebih dari satu. Contoh: Kata kepala bermakna ; bagian tubuh dari leher ke atas, seperti terdapat pada manusia dan hewan, bagian dari suatu yang terletak di sebelah atas atau depan, seperti kepala susu, kepala meja,dan kepala kereta api, bagian dari suatu yang berbentuk bulat seperti kepala, kepala paku dan kepala jarum dan Iain-lain.

- Hiponim.
Adalah suatu kata yang yang maknanya telah tercakup oleh kata yang lain, sebagai ungkapan (berupa kata, frase atau kalimat) yang maknanya dianggap merupakan bagian dari makna suatu ungkapan. Contoh : kata tongkol adalah hiponim terhadap kata ikan, sebab makna tongkol termasuk makna ikan.

- Hipernim.
Merupakan suatu kata yang mencakup makna kata lain.

- Homonim.
Merupakan kata-kata yang memiliki kesamaan ejaan dan bunyi namun berbeda arti.

- Homofon.
Merupakan kata-kata yang memiliki bunyi sama tetapi ejaan dan artinya berbeda.

- Homograf.
Merupakan kata-kata yang memiliki tulisan yang sama tetapi bunyi dan artinya berbeda.

- Makna Denotasi
Makna Denotasi merupakan makna kata yang sesuai dengan makna yang sebenarnya atau sesuai dengan makna kamus.

Contoh pengunaan kalimat diksi pada kalimat

Pak Slesh adalah seorang pegawai kantoran yang sangat tekun dan berdedikasi. Ia selalu disiplin dalam mengerjakan sesuatu. Pada saat rapat kerja, salah satu kolega yang hadir melihat kinerja beliau dan kemudian berkata kepada sesama kolega yang lain “Jam tangan pak Slesh bagus yah”.

Dalam ilustrasi diatas, frase jam tangan memiliki makna konotasi yang berarti sebenarnya disiplin. Namun makna ini hanya diketahui oleh orang-orang yang bekerja di kantoran atau semacamnya yang berpacu dengan waktu. Dalam contoh diatas, Jam Tangan memiliki Makna Konotasi Positif karena sifatnya memuji

Makna konotasi dibagi menjadi 2 yaitu konotasi positif  merupakan kata yang memiliki makna yang dirasakan baik dan lebih sopan, dan konotasi negatif merupakan kata yang bermakna kasar atau tidak sopan.

Read More

Peranan dan fungsi Bahasa Indonesia

Peranan Bahasa Indonesia dalam Kehidupan Sehari-hari

Sebelum membahas peranan bahasa indonesia ada baiknya mengetahui pengertian dari bahasa, secara umum bahasa didefinisikan sebagai lambang. Bahasa adalah alat komunikasi yang berupa sistem lambang bunyi yang dihasilkan alat ucap manusia. Sebagaimana yang telah diketahui, bahwa bahasa terdiri atas kata-kata atau kumpulan kata. Masing-masing mempunyai makna, yaitu hubungan abstrak antara kata sebagai lambang dengan objek atau konsep yang diwakili kumpulan kata. Fungsi utama bahasa adalah sebagai alat komunikasi atau sarana untuk menyampaikan informasi. Tetapi pada dasarnya bahasa lebih dari sekedar alat menyampaikan informasi atau mengutarakan pikiran dan perasaan, adapun fungsi lain dari bahasa adalah :

a.    Untuk tujuan praktis : mengadakan hubungan alam pergaulan sehari-hari

b.  Untuk tujuan artistik : manusia mengolah dan menggunakan bahasa dengan seindah-indahnya guna pemuasan rasa estetis manusia.

c.       Sebagai kunci mempelajari pengetahuan-pengetahuan lain, diluar pengetahuan kebahasaan.

d.   Untuk mempelajari naskah-naskah tua guna menyelidiki latar belakang sejarah manusia,  kebudayaan dan adat istiadat serta perkembangan bahasa itu sendiri.

“KAMI POETRA POETRI BANGSA INDONESIA MENJOENJENG BAHASA PERSATUAN BAHASA INDONSIA” kalimat diatas merupakan penggalan dari sumpah pemuda yang dicetuskan pada tanggal 27 oktober 1928. Dicetuskannya sumpah pemuda tersebut merupakan awal dijadikannya bahasa indonesia sebagai bahasa negara. Hingga saat ini tentu saja bahasa Indonesia memiliki fungsi dan peranan penting dalam kehidupan berbangsa dan bernegara. Hal  ini berarti juga bahwa bahasa Indonesia mempunyai kedudukan yang diberikan. Manusia tidaklah lepas dari peran bahasa, begitu pula rakyat indonesia terhadap bahasa Indonesia. Bahasa indonesia setidaknya memiliki dua peranan yang masing-masing peranan memiliki fungsi.

Dari sudut pandang linguistik, bahasa Indonesia adalah salah satu dari banyak ragam bahasa Melayu. Dalam perkembangannya ia mengalami perubahan akibat penggunaanya sebagai bahasa kerja di lingkungan administrasi kolonial dan berbagai proses pembakuan sejak awal abad ke-20. Meskipun dipahami dan dituturkan oleh lebih dari 90 persen warga Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia bukanlah bahasa ibu bagi kebanyakan penuturnya. Sebagian besar warga Indonesia menggunakan salah satu dari 748 bahasa yang ada di Indonesia sebagai bahasa ibu. Penutur Bahasa Indonesia kerap kali menggunakan versi sehari-hari (kolokial) atau mencampuradukkan dengan dialek Melayu lainnya atau bahasa ibunya.

Pada dasarnya seluruh kegiatan manusia akan sangat berkaitan erat dengan bahasa. Bahasa tidak hanya dapat digunakan dalam bentuk lisan, tapi juga dapat digunakan dalam bentuk tulisan. Ilmu filsafat juga tidak lepas dari penggunaan bahasa, banyak filsafah yang justru mengawali pemikirannya dari problem bahasa. Tentunya bahasa disini bukan berarti sekedar mempelajari tata gramatikal bahasa ataupun bahasa asing, melainkan bagaimana pengertian seseorang dapat terpengaruh hanya dari penggunaan kata-kata atau pemikiran.

Peran bahasa sebagai bahasa negara yang artinya bahasa indonesia sebagai bahasa pengantar dalam acara-acara formal seperti sidang MPR, sekolah, kuliah, pekerjaan , dan lain-lain. Fungsi bahasa sebagai bahasa lainnya adalah bahasa Indonesia sebagai alat penghubung tingkat nasional dan sebagai alat pengembang ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Peran bahasa Indonesia yang kedua adalah sebagai bahasa nasional yaitu sebagai lambang kebanggaan bangsa, rakyat Indonesia patut bangga terhadap bahasa Indonesia, karena tidak semua negara didunia ini yang memiliki bahasa nasional. Fungsi lainnya adalah bahasa indonesia sebagai identitas bangsa dan sebagai alat pemersatu dan penghubung antar daerah, hal tersebut dikarenakan negara indonesiaterdiri dari berbagai jenis ras, agama, suka bangsa dan bahasa yang berbeda disetiap daerah di indonesia, dengan bahasa Indonesia maka setiap warga dari seluruh daerah di indonesia dapat berkomunikasi dengan baik.

Ada beberapa poin yang dapat dikaitkan dengan bahasa. Antara lain:

a.     Akal, yang sangat erat dengan logika

b.     Makna dan intepretasi, yang merupakan bagian yang sudah melekat dengan bahasa.

c.     Konvensi, karena tanpa konvesi bahasa tidak akan ada artinya karena tidak dapat dimengerti oleh semua orang.

d.     Dimensi bahasa obyektif, dapat dimengerti oleh semua untuk mengatasi ruang yang bersifat universal dan ilmiah.

e.      Intertekstualitas, bagaimana teks-teks lain saling mempengaruhi pemahaman seseorang.

Ada kalanya sebuah teks atau percakapan akan menggunakan kode penyampaian. Misalnya dalam puisi dan pada saat politikus-politikus yang menggunakan kiasan ketika berpidato ataupun menjawab pertanyaan. Dari banyaknya peran bahasa, dapat dilihat bahwa mengerti bahasa bukanlah hal yang mudah. Harus ada kekritisan dalam menerjemahkan sebuah pesan, inilah pentingnya pera intepretasi. Tanpa intepretasi, tentunya semua akan mengalir dengan datar. Sebuah puisi akan terdengar tidak menarik apabila sama dengan percakaan sehari-hari. Justru simbol-simbol yang ada semakin memperindah penggunaan bahasa.

Dari sinilah kemudian dapat mencoba menganalisa sebuah teks atau tanda dengan aliran-aliran yang berkembang dari filsafat bahasa. Sesungguhnya pengertian bahasa indonesia yang baik dan benar bukan berarti menggunakan bahasa resmi dimanapun melainkan bahasa yang penggunaannya tepat dan sesuai dengan situasi dan kondisi yang sedang terjadi. Sementara bahasa yang benar adalah bahasa konsisten menerapkan kaidah bahasa EYD. Satu hal yang perlu diperhatikan adalah kesadaran akan pentingnya bahasa Indonesia sebagai bahasa persatuan yang memudahkan komunikasi antar sesama, tidak perlu canggung untuk untuk menggunakan bahasa Indonesia sehari-hari namun tentu saja harus menjaga kearifan bahasa lokal.

Didalam kedudukannya sebagai bahasa Negara, bahasa Indonesia berfungsi sebagai alat pengembangan kebudayaan nasional, ilmu pengetahuan, dan teknologi. Didalam hubungan ini bahasa Indonesia adalah satu – satunya alat yang memungkinkan untuk membina dan mengembangkan kebudayaan nasional sedemikian rupa sehingga Indonesia memikili ciri – ciri dan identitasnya sendiri yang dapat membedakannya dari kebudayaan daerah atau negara lain. Pada waktu yang sama, bahasa Indonesia kita pergunakan sebagai alat untuk menyatakan nilai – nilai sosial budaya nasional kita. Disamping itu, sekarang ini fungsi bahasa Indonesia telah pula bertambah besar. Bahasa Indonesia berfungsi sebagai bahasa media massa. media massa cetak dan elektronik, baik visual, audio, maupun audio visual harus memakai bahasa Indonesia. Media massa menjadi tumpuan untuk dapat menyebarluaskan bahasa Indonesia secara baik dan benar.

Bahasa memiliki peranan dan fungsi bahasa tertentu yang digunakan berdasarkan kebutuhan seseorang, yakni sebagai alat untuk mengekspresikan diri,  sebagai alat komunikasi, sebagai alat integrasi dan beradaptasi social dalam lingkungan atau situasi tertentu, dan sebagai alat melakukan control sosial.

Dalam penulisan ilmiah, bahasa merupakan hal yang terpenting. Untuk itu kita harus sebaik mungkin menggunakannya. Antara lain :

Dalam hal penggunaan ejaan. Ejaan ialah penggambaran bunyi bahasa dalam kaidah tulismenulis yang distandarisasikan; yang meliputi pemakaian huruf, penulisan huruf, penulisan kata, penulisan unsur serapan, dan pemakaian tanda baca.

Dalam hal penulisan kata. Baik kata dasar, kata turunan, bentuk ulang, kata ganti, kata depan, kata sandang, maupun gabungan kata.

 Dalam penggunaan partikel lah, kah, tah, pun. Partikel lah, kah, tah ditulis serangkai dengan kata yang mendahuluinya. Contoh: Pergilah sekarang! Sedangkan partikel pun ditulis terpisah dari kata yang mendahuluinya. Contoh: Jika engkau pergi, aku pun akan pergi. Kata-kata yang sudah dianggap padu ditulis serangkai, seperti andaipun, ataupun, bagaimanapun, kalaupun, walaupun, meskipun, sekalipun.

Dalam hal pemakaian Ragam Bahasa. Berdasarkan pemakaiannya, bahasa memiliki bermacam-macam ragam sesuai dengan fungsi, kedudukan, serta lingkungannya. Ragam bahasa pada pokoknya terdiri atas ragam lisan dan ragam tulis. Ragam lisan terdiri atas ragam lisan baku dan ragam lisan takbaku; ragam tulis terdiri atas ragam tulis baku dan ragam tulis takbaku.

Dalam penulisan Singkatan dan Akronim.Singkatan nama orang, nama gelar, sapaan jabatan atau pangkat diikuti tanda titik. Contoh: Muh. Yamin, S.H. (Sarjana Hukum ). Singkatan yang terdiri atas tiga huruf atau lebih diikuti satu tanda titik. Contoh: dll. hlm. sda. Yth. Singkatan nama resmi lembaga pemerintah dan ketatanegaraan, badan atau organisasi, serta dokumen resmi yang terdiri atas huruf awal setiap kata ditulis dengan huruf kapital dan tidak diikuti tanda titik. Contoh: DPR GBHN KTP PT. Akronim nama diri yang berupa gabungan huruf awal dari deret kata ditulis seluruhnya dengan huruf kapital. Contoh: ABRI LAN IKIP SIM. Akronim nama diri yang berupa gabungan suku kata atau gabungan huruf dan suku kata dari deret kata ditulis dengan huruf awal huruf kapital. Contoh: Akabri Bappenas Iwapi Kowani.

Dalam penulisan Angka dan Lambang Bilangan. Penulisan kata bilangan tingkat dapat dilakukan dengan cara berikut. Contoh: Abad XX dikenal sebagai abad teknologi. Lambang bilangan yang dapat dinyatakan dengan satu atau dua kata ditulis dengan huruf, kecuali jika beberapa lambang dipakai berturut-turut. Contoh: Ada sekitar lima puluh calon mahasiswa yang tidak diterima diperguruan tinggi itu.

Dalam pemakaian tanda baca. Pemakaian tanda titik (.), tanda koma (,), tanda titik dua (:), tanda titik koma (,), tanda hubung, (-) tanda pisah (_), tanda petik ("), tanda garis miring, (/) dan tanda penyingkat atau aprostop (').

Dalam pemakaian imbuhan, awalan, dan akhiran. Dalam penulisan ilmiah, selain harus memperhatikan faktor kebahasaan, kita pun harus mempertimbangkan berbagai faktor di luar kebahasaan. Faktor tersebut sangat berpengaruh pada penggunaan kata karena kata merupakan tempat menampung ide. Dalam kaitan ini, kita harus memperhatikan ketepatan kata yang mengandung gagasan atau ide yang kita sampaikan, kemudian kesesuaian kata dengan situasi bicara dan kondisi pendengar atau pembaca.

Fungsi Bahasa Indonesia secara umum

Bahasa merupakan salah satu alat untuk menunjukkan identitas diri atau alat untuk mengekspresikan diri. Mengapa? Karena dengan bahasa kita dapat menunjukkan sudut pandang kita, pemahaman kita atas suatu hal, asal usul bangsa dan negara kita, pendidikan kita, bahkan sifat kita. Bahasa menjadi cermin diri kita, baik sebagai bangsa maupun sebagai diri sendiri. Agar komunikasi yang dilakukan berjalan lancar dengan baik, penerima dan pengirim bahasa harus harus menguasai bahasanya.

Dalam Konteks ini, bahasa yang kita gunakan adalah bahasa Indonesia. Bahasa Indonesia memiliki beberapa fungsi-fungsi secara umum diantaranya adalah

a.       Sebagai bahasa Negara dan pemersatu bangsa

Bahasa Indonesia memiliki kedudukan yang sangat penting di Negara karena merupakan salah satu dari ikrar sumpah pemuda tahun 1928 yang berbunyi Kami putra dan putri Indonesia menjunjung bahasa persatuan, bahasa Indonesia. Bersumber dari hal tersebut, Bahasa Indonesia juga memiliki fungsi sebagai pemersatu bangsa yakni berarti kedudukan yang dimiliki lebih tinggi daripada bahasa-bahasa daerah yang ada di Indonesia.

Indonesia memiliki beragam budaya dan bahasa, untuk itu bahasa pemersatu diperlukan agar hubungan komunikasi antar satu dengan yang lain tidak terhambat.

Sebagai contoh, misalnya seorang pejabat daerah Manado mendapat tugas dinas di Jakarta aan tetapi dia tidak bisa mengunakan bahasa Indonesia dan dia hanya menguasai bahasa daerah manado. Tentu ketika dia telah tiba di Jakarta, tidak semua orang Jakarta dapat mengerti apa yang dia bicarakan karena di Jakarta berbagai suku dan budaya ada. Pejabat tersebut harus menggunakan bahasa Indonesia agar hubungan komunikasi dalam perjalan dinasnya tidak mengalami hambatan.

b.      Sebagai Alat komunikasi

Seperti yang telah dijelaskan dalam point pertama tadi. Bahasa Indonesia tidak akan luput daripada fungsi komunikasi. Karena komunikasi adalah hal yang paling utama diperlukan saat menjalin hubungan dengan orang lain.

Contohnya adalah kita berbicara bahasa Indonesia kepada guru atau dosen kita. Bahasa Indonesia dapat menjadi alat yang membantu kita menyampaikan ide, gagasan, dan pemikiran kita.

c.       Sebagai penunjuk identitas diri

Berkaitan dengan point kedua, Bahasa Indonesia merupakan alat menyampaikan gagasan dan pemikiran kita kepada orang lain sehingga dalam hal ini dapat dikatakan bahwa bahasa juga sebagai penunjuk identitas diri. Dari cara berpikir kita, tata bahasa yang kita gunakan serta idea pa saja yang telah kita tuangkan menggunakan bahasa Indonesia dapat menggambarkan identitas diri kita.

Seperti contoh yang baru-baru ini marak beredar adalah bahasa ala Vicky prasetyo. Vicky menggunakan istilah-istilah bahasa Indonesia maupun bahasa Inggris yang tidak lazim digunakan sehingga menimbulkan keanehan seperti istilah konspirasi kemakmuran,labil ekonomi dsb. Akan tetapi, di sisi lain kita jadi mengetahui bagaimana sosok Vicky sebenarnya. Seperti apa cara berpikirnya dan bagaimana tata bahasanya.

d.      Sebagai alat mengembangkan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi

Dalam dunia pendidikan di Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia menjadi salah satu materi yang wajib diajarkan mulai dari tingkat paling rendah hingga tingkat perguruan tinggi. Hal itu terjadi karena Bahasa Indonesia merupakan alat untuk mengembangkan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi.

Diluar sana, banyak buku-buku yang menjadi sumber pengetahuan menggunakan bahasa Indonesia. Di sisi lain, sebagai syarat kelulusan mahasiswa perguruan tinggi juga harus menggunakan bahasa Indonesia dengan baik dan benar untuk membuat suatu perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan dengan sebuah ide yang menggunakan bahasa Indonesia kemudian dipaparkan dalam bentuk tulisan ilmiah.

Sumber : http://verozzaranii.blogspot.co.id/

                 John C. Concorn Jr.,Maruli Panggabean.Bahasa,pengaruh dan peranannya. Jakarta: Yayasan Obor Indonesia,1981

               

Read More