[Spook]

We Aussies are spoilt for choice when it comes to colours compared to our NA and NZ counterparts. If you look at the NZ website... well I feel sorry for them.

Now that we've seen them in the flesh at the showrooms, what colours do you like? Personally, I've seen Titanium Grey, Nordic Green (a nice colour actually, almost like a really dark blue when I first saw it), Black, Sparking Silver and Sunlight Silver, plus a Canary Yellow hatch and a Velocity Red Maxx Sport sedan on the road - all very nice but my fav out of these are the Titanium Grey and Nordic Green.

Anyone seen a Strato Blue? Are they purplish like the MZ6, because that's too purple for me.

I had to leave some colours out because it wouldn't fit.

 

[RaVe]

Well I stopped off at my local Mazda dealer yesterday (they were closed), and had a look around. To my suprise they actually had 5 or 6 models, including 3 SP23's.

The colours were, White, Orange, Black, Dark Grey and Bright Blue.

The winning blue didn't look too bad, the grey was a nice suprise aswell. But the black just looked great, only problem was the car that was black was a SP23 sedan, while Im a hatch guy =)

But it still looked great, its black mica which while I like just plain black, the metallic helps the lines of the car to stand out more.

The one thing that looks really weird, and I dont think you can really tell from pictures. Is the back of the SP23 sticks out a hell of a lot more than the Maxx. Plus looking at the Maxx and the SP23 side by side the bodykits dont seem that differnt. Only the part at the nose of the car where the badge is, and the back really seem different.

But damn those 17-inch alloys are nice =)

 

[askew]

im torn between titanium grey and black. i havent seen black yet but i was concerned you would lose the definition of the body. the contours and lines etc. might not shadow or highlight with mica black.

cant wait till wednesday when my local dealer gets stock...

 

[Spook]

Yeah, the SP23 gets unique sport bumpers front and rear, with the result being the SP23 is 80mm longer (hatch) and 55mm longer (sedan) than Maxx/Neo equivalents. The SP23 also gets orange reflectors on the side of the rear bumpers.

 

[comebacktomorrow]

Me like titanium grey... Just for the record However, I was also really impressed with the velocity red. Was quite stunning, just not my colour though.

 

[Spook]

Anyone seen a passion orange? I have seen a Velocity Red Maxx (with the red taillights) and it looks sweeeet! Wonder what an orange car with red taillights will look like?

 

[RaVe]

Yup, I've seen an SP23 hatch in Passion Orange. Didn't look too bad, my old man didn't like it, but I would say its more of a chic colour. I only say that because when you see it, its more of a warm soft orange. As opposed to a really dark hard orange.

 

[comebacktomorrow]

Mmm.. Red was a bit more impressive than the orange. Still the orange was a nice colour - it tended to be more dynamic in how it appeard depending on the angle and light.. Was cool, but lacked the amazing metalicness of the red.

Hmm.. So much for me not posing or coming here any more. Still early days though :wink: (it aint even officially launched so i guess its ok if i stick around for a bit)

 

[Spook]

Got to say though that colours IMO like Passion Orange and Sherbet Green are examples of "fad" colours. If you want good resale value later on (not that you would want to get rid of your MZ3 any time soon :wink: ), best to stick to mainstream colours like silver, white or blue.

Having said that, Titanium Grey is a relatively new colour, and it's pretty much mainstream now. Guess its the colours that are not loud that are enduring.

(BTW I remember reading a while ago that Yellow cars are the safest because they are the most visible on the road)

 

[BeeF]

I saw the Orange and about 7 or 8 other MZ3s parked on the side of the highway on the way home tonight. I think they must have been doing an article with the local papers over here.

The Orange Sedan looked stunning. IMO it was the best looking colour of the lot. Followed by the Titanium then the Winning Blue. That is coming from a Guy who usually likes Black and Titanium Grey.

But I'd have to agree with Spook, it would be a gamble with resale. I wonder how many of the 'Burnt Orange' or the 'Lime Green' Commodores getting around out there are fetching a high second hand price.....not many I would be guessing

 

[RaVe]

I do a fair bit of highway driving and yeah yellow cars stick out like nothing else, you can see them miles away.

Im not a fan of the whole "fad" colour things. I still really think that they are colours more for women than anything. How many guys are going to buy the orange, or even that awful Sherbert Green? Ugh..

I myself am all for the Black, its going to be my colour of choice.

Red is always a nice colour, classic and reserved. Sportyish...

White I never used to like in cars and still dont on things like Magnas and Falcons. But small cars, like the Nissan Pulsar and the Mazda 3 look really nice. Esp the MZ 3 which suprised me, looks very sporty in white.

Sunlight Silver is a really nice looking colour on the MZ3, and the titanium grey looks great aswell. But Sparkling Silver, nooo. Just looks plain and nasty, its just wrong for a sporty hatch/sedan.

Dont really know about the green, never really fancy it. Honda used it a lot on the 6th gen Civic, so I think its really been over used. But still a nice reserved colour, not fussy at all.

Winning Blue, when you see it you know why Mazda is marketing the car with this. It just looks good. Its light, brings out the lines and looks clean. Also I havent seen Strato Blue, so I cant comment, seems like an ok colour though.

Yellow.. Well my old man owns a Yellow SP20. Its probably just me but Im really over it.. lol Sure it looks sporty at first, but it gets old. Not worth it.

Orange, yeah its ok. Fad colour which I wouldnt bother with.

Sherbert Green.. Just thank god they dont make the SP23 in this...

I wasent going to comment on each colour, but it just happened. Just my opinion.I really think the colour of the car says something about a person.

 

[Absinthe]

Am I allowed to vote here?

 

[BeeF]

Mmmmmm let me guess - Winning Blue?

No offence to the winning blue owners , IMO the nicest Mazda Blue is Pacific Blue available on the MZ6....that would look sweet on the 3 as well

Winning Blue is very nice as well though

 

[Spook]

The SP23 gets a review in Feb's issue of Wheels (where incidentally, the RX8 is Wheel's COTY for 2003 ). The Winning Blue test car looks brillant! Really suits the hatch. I actually think Mazda should have a bit more of a restriction on which levels gets which colours. It kinds of cheapens Winning Blue when a Neo can have it. Of course I say that because I'm not thinking of getting my MZ3 in that colour - a bit too bright for me.

At the moment, the only exclusive colours are Canary Yellow (SP23 only) and Sherbet Green (Neo and Maxx only).

 

[RaVe]

What colour are you thinking Spook?

 

[Spook]

Initially, was thinking Strato blue after seeing nonofx's little beauty (assuming that Indigo blue and Strato blue are the same), but I haven't spotted one yet. Not sure how that will look with the red tail-lights (I'm thinking Maxx Sport, but still saving up ) and also wondering if it's purplish like the MZ6, in which case, no thanks. Liked Titanium Grey too, so probably either one.

Here's the link to Nonofx's thread
http://mazda3forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=576&start=0

 

[RaVe]

Yeah that blue isn't bad. I think it will still look pretty decent with red lights, they shouldn't detract too much.

Funny thing you should say your still saving up, just like me. Though I'm looking at the SP23 in Black.. Im getting there, just gotta be patient.

One thing I've been wondering, does the SP23 have the led tailights over here?

 

[aok28]

looks like the SP23 Hatch gets the leds and the sedan only gets coloured lenses under the clear lens covers,( I only saw one SP23 sedan at the dealers at a distance as it was sold ). Winning Blue is a nice colour but it's just a bit too Subaru for me, the Passion Orange is a bit too Bronze, Black is great but a bitch to keep clean ( I've had 2 Black cars so never again) Red is good looking but I'm not a "Red" person. I've just ordered my SP23 in Canary Yellow, I find out tomorrow when I get it
Rob.

 

[Spook]

Yeah, only the hatch SP23 gets the LED. However, the accessory list seem to include the LEDs - have a look in the brochure. Wonder how a sedan SP23 with the LEDs would look? You'd also notice that the hatch gets some kinds of storage compartment in the boot, that the sedan does not have. Wonder what that is? Have to pop down to the dealer again.

Agree with u RaVe about Arctic White. I'm not partial to them normally (just think of all the Commodores and Falcons, and Taxis!!), but from pics that's I've seen in this forum, white does look quite sporty with the sports grille and clear/black tail-lights.

 

[comebacktomorrow]

I think exactly the same thing about white too. Its a real alternative, and i believe would look quite snazzy with leds