By Philip Ruth–

Yellow comes and goes, in terms of fashion for cars. Kids of the 1970s will remember that this cheerful color was available on just about every model, from the Colts to the Coupe de Villes. Our Chevette family was selected in something akin to Safety Yellow, which probably helped keep this blazingly slow hatchback from regularly finding itself in the back.

Since then, car colors have become more subdued, with black, white and silver pushing niche shades to the fringes. So, you won’t find many mid- or high-end sedans and SUVs in yellow; you’d rather look to small cars like the Chevy Spark, or sporty models like the two we’re reviewing this time: the Lexus RC F and Toyota GR Supra 2.0.

They are both Toyota products, and the two yellow ones look the same but have different names; Lexus calls the RC’s Flare Yellow, while the Supra’s goes by Nitro Yellow. Whatever the descriptors, their vibrant finishes have garnered great attention in their time here, both acting like rays of sunshine breaking through the surrounding seas of gray.

You’ll have to pay for it if you want a vehicle with that kind of dazzling distinction – Toyota charges $425 for its yellow, and Lexus is a bit higher at $595. These options brought the results to $48,040 for the GR Supra 2.0 and $90,705 for the RC F. There is still room to grow with the Supra, as larger engines and performance upgrades can increase the base price up to over $60,000, while the RC F represents the high end RC.

Sharp styling under the light color is aggressive in both the Supra and RC. The Supra shares a lot with the BMW Z4, and while the BMW is a modern take on traditional branding cues like the twin-kidney grille, the Toyota is bold and bold with its pronounced curves and flares.

Meanwhile, the RC F tested seemed to mean business with its $11,400 carbon package, which installs carbon fiber trim on the roof and in the additional aerodynamic upgrades. I wouldn’t call either timeless or beautiful, but the point here is for them to pack a visual punch, and they do.

Both offer authoritative performance. The Supra 2.0 I drove efficiently transferred its 255 horsepower to the ground, with turbocharged acceleration and incredibly stable handling. The RC F’s V8 put it in another league by developing 472 horsepower thanks to the $1,250 Torque Vectoring Differential, a neat innovation that puts power to the wheels via a multi-clutch system aided by electric motors. Its benefits are more suited to track days than street use.

Inside, the Supra is one-piece, with a low seating position and tall console and dash. The RC is larger and therefore more like a touring car than a bare-knuckle racer, although it is quite capable of adopting this role.

If you love yellow, here are two distinct and satisfying personalities to enjoy it with.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.

Posted on February 10, 2022