Mazda Will Finally Sell You A Green ND Miata, But It's Barely Green

The ND-generation Mazda MX-5 has been in production for 11 long years, and it has never been available in green, despite Mazda's closely held relationship with the color. This modern MX-5 has been on the market for quite a while, though the car has had a couple of excellent revamps along the way to keep it relevant, and it certainly helps that Mazda started with such a competent platform in the first place. But for that car to have never been available in green is a monumental disappointment. And while the new Zinc Green (pictured) is a reasonably passable shade of concrete, calling this green is tantamount to a slap in the face. 

When announcing this new color for the lineup, Mazda mentioned how proud it was of all the great greens it has painted cars over the decades of its existence. The company press release even mentions the original Mazda Go three-wheeler, which was painted in a John Deere-style green and yellow. It also name drops the eye-searing highlighter grellow "Spirited Green" seen on the Mazda2 back when the ND-generation first launched. Unfortunately for Mazda, mere mention of these bold and beautiful shades of green overshadows the new Zinc Green. I'd much rather see a 2027 MX-5 in a color that not only highlights the beautiful lines of the diminutive car, but grabs attention from onlookers. 

This new color debuted at the Karuizawa Fan Meeting, one of the largest gatherings of MX-5s in the world, hosted in Karuizawa, Japan on Sunday. 

According to Mazda, Zinc Green plays with the light to look like different shades of green in different light, and was explicitly designed to look matte grey in low light conditions. Man, we have to get back to vibrant and full-color living. I don't know how much more of this low-saturation putty-looking car color trend I can take. 

From the release: 

Zinc Green was developed as a lifestyle color, similar to the well-received Polymetal Gray Metallic. Under bright sunlight, it reveals a vibrant and rich expression, ranging from highlights to deep shades. In lower-light conditions, it takes on a more subdued, grayish appearance with a sense of solidity and an almost matte quality.

Zinc Green has an appeal that is complimentary across various Mazda models, from MX-5 Miata to crossover SUV models. It is a compelling color that will further help the vehicle stand out. More information and availability for the US market will be announced later this year.

Zinc Green will join the MX-5's current color lineup shortly, alongside two good colors (Deep Crystal Blue Mica and Soul Red Crystal Metallic), black, white, and two shades of grey. The MX-5 is supposed to be a fun car, why doesn't it come in any fun colors? Why isn't anyone willing to take a risk on color anymore?