This past weekend I was lucky enough to spend the day at Michelin’s Road Atlanta race track. Throughout the course of the day, a few of the drivers started discussing their track cars and modifications that they made. One of the drivers happened to mention brakes and he was curious about the best options, specifically for Porsches. As the discussion went on, Porsche Carbon Ceramic Brakes (PCCB) was brought up and heavily discussed.
Carbon Ceramic brakes is quite a controversial discussion amongst Porsche owners. Is it worth the additional 10G as an option to purchase them? If you are a track enthusiast, most people will tell you not to buy them because they are very expensive to replace after you wear through them. Once they have reached their lifespan, you have to replace the entire system, which will cost you a pretty penny. However, if you go with the "steel" brakes, then you can upgrade the brake pads and probably change your brake fluid to race brake fluid such as, Castrol SRF Racing Brake Fluid - 1 Liter 12512 for a good braking combination and get a lot of use out of them.
There is no arguing that Porsche’s Ceramic Composite brakes are outstanding and proven on the track, but for those of us without unlimited funds or a sponsor that is going to resupply your brakes, is it worth the extra money? If you are not familiar with PCCB, here is what Porsche claims about their PCCBs:
Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) - https://www.porsche.com/china/en/models/panamera/panamera-models-1/panamera-10years/safety/porsche-ceramic-composition-brake-pccb/
Proven in motorsport, Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) is available as an option. The cross-drilled ceramic brake discs of PCCB now have a diameter of 420 mm at the front and 390 mm at the rear – for even more formidable braking performance. PCCB features 10-piston aluminium monobloc fixed brake calipers on the front axle and four-piston units at the rear – all painted in yellow – to provide braking forces that are considerably more powerful and, crucially, are exceptionally consistent. PCCB enables shorter braking distances in even the toughest road and race conditions. Safety under high-speed braking is also improved thanks to its excellent fade resistance. Another advantage of PCCB is the extremely low weight of the ceramic brake discs, which are approximately 50 % lighter than standard discs of a similar design and size. This results in better roadholding and increased comfort, particularly on uneven roads, as well as greater agility and a further improvement in handling.
All of this sounds amazing right – 50% weight reduction, 10-piston aluminium monobloc fixed brake calipers on the front, and fade resistance – all with a two-year warranty. If you are the average Porsche owner and you are estimating 3,000 to 5,000 miles/year on your car, no track time with some occasional fun runs, you probably won’t have to replace the PCCBs. However, if you are track enthusiasts or if you ever need to replace these PCCB, what is the cost to you:
I use Suncoast Porsche Parts, Vivid Racing, or Parts Geek for most of my DIY projects so let’s take a look at the costs associated with replacement PCCB. In this example, I am going to use a 991.2 GT3RS:
Suncoast Porsche Parts:
Front:
Rotors: $12,900.00
Brake pads: $600.00
Rears:
Rotors: $13,500.00
Brake Pads $600.00
Complete kit from Suncoast Porsche: $29,900.00
Comes with the following parts: - Front and Rear Ceramic Rotors - Front and Rear Yellow Brake Calipers - Front and Rear Brake Pads - Mounting Hardware
Is there an alternative to these highly expensive brakes?
Yes, I think I found one. Note: I have not tested these personally but after interviewing a few track enthusiasts (one of them owning a highly modified GTR3RS) – rants and raves about “Surface Transforms” https://surfacetransforms.com/
Here is what Surface Transforms claims about their Carbon Ceramic Brakes:
"Surface Transforms are experts in the development and production of carbon-ceramic materials and the UK’s only manufacturer of carbon-ceramic brakes for automotive use. ST utilizes our proprietary next-generation carbon-ceramic material - CCST - to create lightweight brake discs for high-performance applications, including automotive and aircraft brakes. Surface Transforms has extensive in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities, including the facilities for manufacturing carbon-ceramic brake discs.
While conventional carbon-ceramic brake discs use discontinuous (chopped) carbon fiber, ST interweaves continuous carbon fiber to form a 3D matrix, producing a stronger and more durable product with 3x the heat conductivity compared to our competitors; this reduces the brake system operating temperature, resulting in increased life of components with the same brake performance.
Surface Transforms' unique patented Carbon-Ceramic technology provides the ultimate braking performance for road and track:
· Weight savings of up to 70% (typically 20kg of unsprung weight)
· Improved handling and driveability
· Improved NVH (less noise, vibration and harshness)
· Improved performance (in both wet and dry conditions)
· Reduced brake wear – giving increased life
· Corrosion Free
· Outstanding performance, even from cold
· Surface Transforms has developed performance brake packages for some of the most demanding vehicles around, including:
Price for the following: GT2/GT2 RS/GT3/GT3 RS (Centre-lock or five stud)
KIT CONTENTS: TWO BRAKE DISCS, CALIPER BOLTS AND SPACERS
Full car disc upgrade†: £9,000.00 or $10,730.00 USD
ST-K-1020: Front Axle Set CCST Discs (410 x 36 mm) contains 2 discs £4,500.00 or $5,366.00
ST-K-1021: Rear Axle Set CCST Discs (400 x 32 mm) contains 2 discs, caliper bolts and spacers £4,500.00 or $5,366.00"
And based on what the driver told me, unlike PCCBs where you have to replace them once they are used, the Surface Transforms brakes can be resurfaced where you can use them multiple times (up to 4 from what I was told) before having to buy a new set.
As with everything in life, it is good to have options. I am sure the Porsche purists will stick with the PCCBs but others may look at the cost, value, and efficiency of Surface Transforms and go with them or another popular brand such as Brembo. At the end of the day, it is what is best for you and your needs.