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2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year:

Car and Driver 10Best list cracked by Tesla Model S, BMW 3 Series left off

Car and Driver is keeping new blood pumping into its annual 10Best cars list with three new entries making it on for 2015 and a perennial favorite falling off. Among the biggest shocks this year is that the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series are no longer named, despite years of some portion of that lineup earning a mention. In another surprise, the Tesla Model S (specifically in S 60 trim to fit under the $80,000 cost cap) makes it to the 2015 roster and is the only electrically motivated member of the group. Despite the loss of the 3 Series, BMW isn't entirely shut out this year, because the M235i gets its name on the list. Car and Driver argues that the little coupe feels like a welcome throwback to the E46 chassis M3 of the early 2000s. In addition to the Model S, the final newbie to the annual group is the 2015 Ford Mustang GT. The inclusion of these new members knocks the Audi A6/A7 family and Ford Fiesta ST out from the 2014 rundown. The other seven models carry over from last year, including the Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Honda Accord, Mazda3, Mazda6, Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Volkswagen Golf/GTI. The 2015 10Best cars list certainly seems to have something for everyone from the hot hatch fan to the family man and even the green car driver, thanks to the addition of the Tesla. Head over to Car and Driver to read its detailed explanations for each vehicle's inclusion, but if you've got a difference of opinion or just really like the list, let us know in Comments. Featured Gallery Car and Driver 2015 10Best Cars List View 10 Photos News Source: Car and DriverImage Credit: Car and Driver, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Porsche, Tesla, Volkswagen Auto News BMW Cadillac Chevrolet Ford Honda Mazda Porsche Tesla Volkswagen Convertible Coupe Hatchback Performance Sedan 10Best

Cadillac Oscars ad shows none of its cars or trucks

Can you sell something without actually showing the product in an ad? While this sounds like a question that Don Draper might have, Cadillac apparently thinks it's possible with at least one of the brand's three upcoming Oscars commercial. Days after whiting-out the company's social media presence in preparation for the new campaign, some of the advertising is finally here. Titled Dare Greatly, the first released spot goes for a stripped down, minimalist aesthetic. The entire piece is made up of voiceover and ambient noise set over slow-motion driving shots of New York City. Viewers catch a few out-of-focus glances at a Cadillac interior, but otherwise the only vehicles in the commercial are the ones parked along the street. The speech that is the centerpiece of the ad is all about the glory in just making an attempt, rather than criticizing others. "There is no effort without error and shortcoming," it says at one point. According to The Detroit Free Press, the text comes from a lecture by Teddy Roosevelt in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris. Cadillac's commercial never actually attributes the words to the former president, but the company is playing up the connection on social media. The full 1:30 version of the spot is already streaming online, but Cadillac is cutting the commercial into 30-second and 60-second versions to air during the Oscars, according to The Detroit Free Press. Of the brand's two other ads during the awards show, at least one of them shows the company's vehicles.