For much of the past decade, if you’ve wanted a new, standard-model Mazda MX-5 in an actual color, you only really had one option. Okay, yes, there’s Deep Crystal Blue, but it lives up to its name in being a blue from the depths. No, if you wanted a shade that couldn’t be confused with greyscale, it was Soul Red or bust. Now though, there’s a new green. Hang on, hang on, don’t get too excited yet.
See, Mazda’s in a bit of an interesting spot right now, because most of its offerings occupy a sort-of value-premium space. Generally, models like the CX-90 and Mazda 3 aim to be a bit nicer than their mainstream equivalents, and that usually results in subtle colors, materials, and finishes. Outside of the bewitching Soul Red Crystal, Mazda’s color lineup is full of muted tones, and this latest hue is no exception.
It’s called Zinc Green Metallic, and while the offer of a green sounds rather promising, Mazda’s gone with an interesting shade. The marque claims this color “takes its inspiration from the color and texture of zinc chromate primer,” but I’m not quite seeing it. Historically, green zinc chromate primer serves up an incredibly ’70s hue. Sort of like if Harvest Gold and Pea Green had a baby. It would look bizarre on an MX-5, but strange is almost always better than dull. This isn’t that.
Instead, it’s essentially a grey with a touch of green. Sort of like how a LaCroix was placed near a fruit at some point in its manufacturing process. This would be a spectacularly tasteful shade on a large crossover, suiting something with gravitas and volume and a somewhat somber image. I can’t wait for it to be offered on other Mazdas, but Zinc Green Metallic feels anticlimactic on an MX-5.
A small roadster is supposed to be joy with licence plates, a four-wheeled expression of lust for life driven with a beaming ear-to-ear smile. It doesn’t do nonchalant; its disposition is simply too giddy for muted expression. It’s the mate that won’t stop snickering, the inside joke that has you cracking up like an absolute nut. The fun that everyone else is too self-serious to have, which means they’re going to miss it all. Sure, you can order a car like this in a neutral tone, but MX-5s have always suited saturated hues.
Just look at how orange the 30th Anniversary MX-5 was. It was like driving a pumpkin, which fits perfectly because Halloween is a time to dress up, and toy roadsters like this make you feel like a racing driver. There’s absolutely nothing understated about it, nothing demure. The 30th Anniversary Edition model may be the size of a shoe, but it refuses to shrink its personality for anyone. I love that.
Flash back a generation, and you were briefly able to get the NC MX-5 in yellow, motion blur sold separately. Between that bright color and the smiley-face grille, it’s hard not to feel a little bit better just looking at this thing. If it was a dog, it would have a very waggly tail.
Okay, but what about a great green? You only need to look across the Mazda showroom to find one, with the CX-50 crossover available in brilliant Cypress Green. Admittedly, this isn’t a Mazda shade as such, but rather a happy appropriation from Toyota that comes from the CX-50 and the Corolla Cross sharing a production facility. The flipside, of course, is being able to buy a Corolla Cross in Soul Red Crystal. Given how Toyota and Mazda share equity stakes, could a fax from Yokohama be sent that goes along the lines of “Love that Cypress Green color, can we borrow it?” happen? If you can special-order BMWs in Porsche colors and Porsches in BMW colors, why not Mazdas in Toyota colors?
Don’t get me wrong, Zinc Green Metallic is an interesting color in isolation, but the MX-5 deserves something more vibrant. Dare I say, bold hues are becoming more and more premium by the day. Mercedes-Benz offers multiple cars in yellow, dentists will go to war with each other for a paint-to-sample Porsche 911 allocation, and BMW’s Individual program remains a hot ticket. Come on, Mazda. You make the happiest car on the market, why not paint it equally vivacious colors?
Top graphic image: Mazda
BRG or go home.
To call it anticlimactic is very kind to Mazda. The black wheels are almost invisible, now the car is blah colored, and the top, which is actually pretty nice, looks like it’s hanging out with its two ugly friends.
Dustbin this one, Mazda, and bring back the yellow. The Miata is a fantastic car (other than the electronic gadgetry). It deserves fantastic colors.
Mine got silver Enkei wheels almost immediately, and they make a huge visual difference (and weight a bit less than the stock wheels, which are fine, but not in black!)
That shade of green sucks.
I think this is a smart move. Anyone who has enough disposable income to buy a brand new MX-5 is probably on the older side of things. I think a lot of people, including many commenters here, would say that someone who’s pushing 45 or 50 in a small, brightly colored sports coupe, is having a midlife crisis or trying to be a boy racer. These muted tones add an air of sophistication to these fun cars that helps a lot with the perception of the person who’s trying to buy them.
Ouch. Good thing all the red paint on my NC has faded to various shades of pale red then I suppose. Mostly I just get hairdresser jokes though..
IMO it would look a lot better if they didn’t use black wheels in the press photos. Notably though those wheels are the Forged Spec MX5 Rays ZE40s. the same ones on the 30AE pictured. Mazda sells them through the Motorsports program in other shades. That green with a gunmetal or brushed aluminum wheel would look a lot better, also bring back the tan top.
I hate black wheels and I can’t wait for this fad to die. Having said that, I also like the color. I’ve always liked mature colors on immature cars; e.g., a white Ferrari 296.
GORGEOUS!!
Sucks.
This color would be more appealing if they dropped the Rorschach black wheels.
I’ll repeat my post: I despise black wheels.
Cannot be repeated enough. Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s the prevailing sentiment. I see folks look at a black on black on black car with full tints and comment “stunning” and I sit there confused because I can’t really discern anything in the picture.