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Ward's releases 10 Best Interiors list for 2014

While we're still a ways off from the automotive awards season proper, where things like North American Car and Truck of the Year, Motor Trend's Car of the Year and Car and Driver's Ten Best are named, that doesn't mean there aren't trophies being handed out to deserving automakers. Ward's 10 Best Interiors being one of them.
As the name might imply, the magazine focuses on the very best interior treatments in the US market. Whereas some awards purposely exclude extreme, high-dollar offerings, Ward's considers them - the only requirement is that a vehicle has a "new or significantly redesigned interior."
Ward's offered up the list of winners in simple, alphabetical order, and it only seems fair to do the same:

First batch of 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miatas lands in US [w/video]

Have you been patiently awaiting the arrival of the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata? Then we're glad to report that your patience has paid off. In fact, even if you haven't been so patient, we're still glad to report that the wait is finally over, as the first batch of the new Japanese roadsters has arrived on American soil. The initial batch of several hundred MX-5s arrived at the port of San Diego from the factory in Hiroshima on board the Phoenix Leader, a 636-foot vehicle carrier ship registered in Panama and operated by Japanese shipping giant NYK Lines. The vehicles are currently being processed at the SoCal port, with deliveries to commence "in the next several weeks," according to Mazda in the brief statement below. The fourth-generation Miata, designated generation ND, mad its global debut at the Paris Motor Show, and its US debut at the LA Auto Show. Production commenced in Japan this past March. The new roadster arrives in US showrooms with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (the smaller 1.5 kept away from these shores), a six-speed manual (replacing the previous five-cogger), a folding soft roof (no retractable hard top this time), and a starting MSRP of $24,915 (plus an $820 destination charge). That, of course, is for the base Sport model, with higher-spec Club and Grand Touring trims also on offer. Along with the images above, you can watch footage of the vehicles driving off the ship in the video below. Might we recommend, however, muting the cheesy soundtrack and playing something more suitable over it instead. Neil Diamond's (Coming to) America ought to do the trick... today! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Mazda Welcomes the First Shipment of All-New 2016 MX-5s Mazda North American Operations today welcomed the first shipment of the all-new 2016 MX-5s. They will begin their port processing procedures and deliveries will follow in the next several weeks. Featured Gallery 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata: US Arrival Mazda Convertible Performance mazda mx-5 san diego port

Evo blasts around in a Spa 24H-winning Mazda RX-7

Think of the Mazda RX-7 today, and your thoughts likely turn to the turbocharged third-generation version of the '90s that's an icon among the tuning and drifting communities. Many years before that swoopy coupe was hanging the tail out, the first model of RX-7 was also quite a track star, though. Evo's Richard Meaden has gotten ahold of a race-prepped version that counts a victory in the 1981 Spa 24 Hours to its name – the first Japanese car to claim that honor – for a fantastic video. With 225 horsepower and weighing around 1,984 pounds, this RX-7 doesn't look like a giant killer on paper. However as Meaden illustrates, the coupe puts those rotary-powered ponies to very good use. Driving it requires constantly keeping things on the boil because the muscle is essentially absent below 7,000 rpm. Once in the sweet spot, things start progressing quickly, though. As a wonderful cap to the wall of noise from the engine, little licks of flame also shoot out of the exhaust on downshifts. Thankfully, Evo's video team captures all of the mechanical noises quite well, and the clip is a treat for those with a good pair of headphones. Despite the race-winning pedigree, Meaden has no problem grabbing the little coupe by the scruff of the neck. He chucks it through the corners to get the tail loose, and the little wisps of smoke from the rear tires prove the original RX-7 knows how to drift too. These early cars definitely worth being remembered in the pantheon of Mazda performance.