Mazda introduced Zinc Green on the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata at the Karuizawa Fan Meeting on May 31, marking the first time the current roadster has been offered in green. The color debuted in Japan with U.S. availability to be announced later this year.
Zinc Green Metallic takes its inspiration from the color and texture of zinc chromate primer, an undercoat used to enhance the durability of industrial products. Mazda developed it as what the company calls a lifestyle color, similar to Polymetal Gray Metallic. Under bright sunlight, the finish 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.
The absence of green on the fourth-generation MX-5 until now stands out against the model’s history. Mazda has offered roughly eighty shades of green across the various generations of its roadster over the decades. The three previous generations all had green options; the current car launched without one.
Mazda has a long relationship with the color. The Mazda Go three-wheeler had a green instrument panel, which was adopted as a full body color in the successor model. The Mazda 787B race car that won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans wore an iconic orange and green livery. Spirited Green Metallic Mazda2s turned heads in the 2000s. Various iterations of green appeared on the first three MX-5 generations. Zinc Green brings the fourth-generation model into that lineage.
Mazda positions Zinc Green as a color with appeal across the lineup, from the MX-5 Miata to crossover SUV models. The company has not announced which models will receive the option or whether it will be standard or a special-order finish. The Karuizawa Fan Meeting, one of the largest gatherings of MX-5s in the world, served as the debut venue.
More information and availability for the U.S. market will be announced later this year. Mazda has not disclosed pricing for the color option or a timeline for when dealers will be able to order it.
Source: Mazda. Images courtesy of Mazda.
