People will definitely see you coming with this orange ode to the MX-5 Miata.
Believe it or not, the Mazda MX-5 Miata is about is now 30 years old. The little roadster has gone through a few transformations throughout the years, but the underlying formula hasn’t changed much. Front engine, two seats, rear-wheel drive, and a cheesy grin that just says “fun”. The latest-generation model has ditched a bit of its carefree roundness for smaller, angry-looking eyes, but it’s still good fun to drive. Now, Mazda has brought their own bright orange anniversary model to the 2019 Chicago Auto Show.
It’s certainly a bold color, at least more so than the MX-5’s current range. Beyond the brand’s signature Soul Red Crystal Metallic, you have the option of white, blue, silver, black and gray. Most of those colors don’t really scream fun now, do they?
It’s not just a paint job
Technically, it’s “Racing Orange” and it’s meant to evoke “the breaking dawn of an exciting new day”. In its homage to the iconic roadster, the 2019 Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition is covered in the color, from the body to the seats and dashboard. The front Brembo brake calipers are orange, as are the rear Nissin calipers. The seats, door trim, dash and shift lever are all orange. This exclusive body color will be limited to 3,000 units worldwide, including a mix of soft-top and RF retractable hardtop models.
Under, the hood, you still get the same 181 horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine you’d get in the standard MX-5. For the MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition, Mazda fitted Rays ZE40 RS30 forged aluminum wheels, Recaro seats, Bilstein dampers (on manual models), and a Bose sound system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support.
Pricing for the 2019 Mazda MX-5 30th Anniversary Edition starts at $34,995. That’s for the manual soft-top version, while the RF starts at $37,595. If you want an automatic transmission, it will cost between $400 (soft-top) and $500 (RF) more. but the each of the 3,000 units will be marked with its place in the production run. Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more updates from the 2019 Chicago Auto Show!
