Optima Batteries is built on the idea of performance that goes above and beyond the everyday norm. But when you’re choosing a battery from Optima’s selection, what should you be looking for for your classic car or hot rod? Well, to take any of the guess work out of it, we decided to take a look at what both the Optima REDTOP and YELLOWTOP batteries have going for them and what kinds of applications they’re both perfect for!

As most of you know, Optima Batteries offers three main lines of batteries consisting of REDTOP, YELLOWTOP and BLUETOP varieties. Much like a sliding scale, each of these battery lines fits within a general performance category.

Optima’s BLUETOP batteries are generally for marine or RV applications, so we’ll be talking about the REDTOP and YELLOWTOP varieties, which are geared more toward automotive applications.

The REDTOP battery is what Optima considers their starting battery. It is designed to have a strong starting burst of power for reliable start-ups no matter what it’s used in while having up to a two times longer life than your traditional automotive battery.

Fully contained and spill-proof, the REDTOP battery can be mounted at pretty much any angle and provides a maintenance-free source of power. The REDTOP battery is also known for having more than 15 times the vibration resistance of a traditional battery while featuring a faster recharge rate.

The REDTOP battery is recommended for hot rods and street cars, as well as trucks, SUVs and other applications, like motorcycles, that don’t have an excessive amount of battery-draining accessories.

A true dual-purpose automotive battery, the YELLOWTOP battery is recommended for accessory-heavy vehicles, or for vehicles running a lot of battery-draining electronics. It can also be used as a forklift or tractor battery.

Much like the REDTOP battery, the YELLOWTOP battery is self-contained and spill-proof, making mounting in virtually any application a breeze. It also features more than 15 times the vibration resistance and a faster recharge rate compared to traditional batteries.

Now, because the YELLOWTOP is more of a high-performance product, it has a life up to three times as long as a traditional battery with deep-cycle and cranking power that lasts.

The battery can also be recharged from deep power drains again and again, with capabilities of withstanding over 300 discharge/recharge cycles.

Both REDTOP and YELLOWTOP batteries can be had in a variety of sizes to fit your application.

With performance in mind, you can’t go wrong with an Optima battery. The only thing left to decide is which one is best for your particular ride!