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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:

Flyin' Miata's 525-hp V8-powered ND finally hits the streets

Flyin' Miata, in its valiant quest to turn Mazda's roadsters into small, Japanese Corvettes, has finally finished its first V8-powered ND Miata. The company has been slowly teasing us with images and videos for months, but it wasn't until this week that the car finally made it to the streets. As soon as the current ND generation Miata was released, Flyin' Miata started the work to shoehorn a GM LS3 under the hood. The company has a history of building brutish, V8-powered Miatas. It sells everything from minor parts to full V8 conversion kits. For those with the cash that prefer to avoid the hassle, Flyin' Miata will sell you a complete, turn-key car. The price hasn't been finalized, but customers should expect to pay about $50,000 plus the cost of the MX-5. The new car has a worked-over LS3 that sends 525 horsepower to the rear wheels through a Tremec T56 transmission. Flyin' Miata says the rear differential comes from a V8 Camaro. Other new bits include exhaust, suspension, brakes, and a roll cage. Flyin' Miata tells us that the V8-swapped ND will weigh 2,592 lbs, a little more than 200 lbs more than the porkiest stock Miata. Despite twice as many cylinders and more than three times the displacement of the stock four banger, the LS3 V8 is a relatively small and lightweight engine. The finished car has a 53:47 front to rear weight distribution. Final touches are being finished, but cars and kits should be available soon. This article has been updated with some info straight from Flyin' Miata. Thanks, Keith! Related Video: News Source: Road & Track, Flyin' Miata Mazda Convertible Performance flyin miata

Sell your own: 2004 Mazda RX-8

Looking to sell your car? We make it both easy and free. Quickly create listings with up to six photos and reach millions of buyers. Log in and create your free listings. Combine "sports car" with "user-friendly" and, in most forums, you have yourself an oxymoron. Sports cars are – by definition – sporty, but rarely do they qualify as easy to use. One that did and, regrettably, has faded from the scene is Mazda's RX-8. Initially launched in 2003, and out of production within roughly a decade, the RX-8 was perhaps the rotary-powered answer to a question few – at the time – were asking. Happily, Mazda produced it anyway. With its front mid-engined platform, freestyle doors and +2 seating, the RX-8 came as close to offering day-in, day-out utility as anything this side of an extended-cab pickup. And its nod to practicality did little, if anything, to diminish the essential goodness of the menu. Mazda's design team provided a high-revving rotary, nimble handling and almost telepathic steering, combining them into a frenzy-filled dollop of locomotion. The result was no more than mildly fast and furious, but in properly motivated hands the RX-8 delivered a high level of entertainment for a relatively modest outlay. This for-sale example, a 2004 RX-8 with automatic transmission, requires just $6,000 and – not incidentally – the ability to buy into its premise. The automatic will be perceived by many to be a negative, but might also suggest a more gentle ownership history. And without benefit of a clutch and shifter, the new owner can concentrate on the driving, with the Mazda's absurdly direct steering and slot-car cornering. The asking price is on the high side (book average is about $5K), but know that similar cars might bring upwards of $8,000. And at 91,000 miles it's been used, but perhaps not used up. Related Video: Mazda Used Car Buying Buying Guide Ownership Coupe Performance