Mazda MX-5 colour guide and prices

As car launches go, there have been very few so far this year more hotly anticipated than the Mazda MX-5. The motoring press has already had its first taste of the small roadster, and is falling for it head-over-heels.

If you plan on being among the first to get your hands on one, chances are you’re already trying to picture your perfect spec. You’ll be thinking, should I get the supposedly sweeter-handling 1.5-litre, or the faster 2.0-litre model? What size alloy wheels should I fit? Perhaps most crucial of all, what colour should I pick?

On that last point, we’re here to help. The new MX-5 is available in a choice of seven finishes. We’ve listed each of them here, along with how much they cost and how desirable we think each might be. For more information on what each different type of finish is, check out our car paint types guide.

Solid finishes

Mazda – like many of its rivals – offers just one solid paint for the MX-5. Solid paint is often the cheapest option in any range, and many buyers steer clear, because it rarely looks as special as the pricier alternatives. There are occasionally exceptions, though, as Mazda looks set to prove.

Arctic White – £0

On a sporty, back-to-basics car like the MX-5, flat white somehow looks completely appropriate. The overall design of such a compact, well-proportioned roadster is special enough that we actually feel this is one of the best options – and, even better, it’s free.

Metallic finishes

Mixing paint with flakes of aluminum or mica (small, transparent pieces of plastic) makes it more eye-catching, particularly in bright sunlight. Such finishes are known as metallic.

Crystal White Pearl – £540

If you catch a glimpse of Crystal White on a bright, sunny day, we think you’d appreciate the greater depth this finish affords over regular Arctic White. However, unless you keep your car fastidiously clean, we’d say that in this case it’s hard to justify the £540 premium over the solid white option.

Ceramic Metallic – £540

‘Ceramic Metallic’ is essentially Mazda’s fancy term for ‘silver.’ It’s hard to knock it, and we think it would look particularly good when paired with a full black leather interior.

Meteor Grey Mica – £540

Grey is a very contemporary and popular shade for any car, so you’re unlikely to have much difficulty when it comes to selling on an MX-5 in this shade. All the same, we can’t help feeling it’s a little too staid for a fun roadster like this.

Jet Black Mica – £540

A little black sports car is all but guaranteed to draw admiring glances – much like a little black dress – and it will hide dirt pretty well, which is handy if you’d rather blast along a B-Road than pose in front of a crowd. For an extra £200 you can combine Jet Black Mica with a tan leather interior, which looks absolutely fantastic.

Reflex Blue Mica – £540

We can’t help thinking that an MX-5 finished in this greyish blue would lack some of the vibrancy you expect of a sports car. A brighter blue or another cheerful colour might have worked much better, but currently that leaves you with only one option…

Soul Red £660

If you’ve seen any of our news pieces about the MX-5, then chances are you’ll be familiar with Soul Red already. At £660, it’s the most expensive option, but we feel it’s worth it because it looks stunning when you see it in real life. As such, it’s likely to be one of the most frequently ticked boxes on the MX-5’s options list.

Need more distractions?

If that hasn’t kept you occupied until the launch date, head over to our full review, where we’ve summarised everything there is to know so far.