This is a fundamental lack of understanding of physics. The rate limiting step for all braking systems is the tires. If your brakes will engage ABS, you have enough braking power to overwhelm the tires. You can't brake harder than the tire no matter what - just basic physics.

The one exception is heat. If your brakes are too small and can't deal with the heat at the track, you may need more mass for heat absorption/dissipation.

 

Wrong!! Absolutely WRONG

 

+1
Agreed!

\m/

 

Exactly. So many people think that bigger the brake, the better the stopping power, but this is a misconception. Want shorter braking distance? Get stickier tires!

Only when you run the brakes hard enough that you get constant brake fade should you consider upgrading. I won't even delve into the subject of beginners cooking their brakes on the track by overusing them.

 

I just met this young'sh, well-trimmed gentleman (the owner of said GT3RS 4.0) at a DE last weekend in Phoenix. I too noticed the brakes and asked the same questions. This guy was very pleasant and said he DD's the 4.0 along with his M5. I was curious about the MOVIT branded brakes as I've heard of these "lifetime" brakes. He said they had just cost him $28,000 for all four.....at which point myself and the other seasoned Porsche club drivers let out a communal ghast....

He went out for 1 session and left curiously. It was fun to look at though.

PS: As for a reason, he gave none other than the insinuation that the MOVIT's were "the best"..... He was in group 1 - Student.

 

Amen. Porsche brake system is over kill for 99% of the Porsche owners as is.
and the remainder 1% are NOT OVER using the system if its a street legal car. I would go as far as to say even if they are competing in a series like NASA , stock Porsche brakes is more then enough IMO. Like you said John. "Learn to drive. Period. "

But hell what do we know.

 

I've met so many guys like him during track days. They mod the crap out of their cars just cause they want whatever someone told them was the best. A few events ago there was a guy with a beautiful GT3RS going on and on about all the stuff he had done to his car and how dialed in his suspension was, blah blah blah.

So I followed him out onto the track the next session excited to see how fast his car was. The guy was so stinking slow (well over 2 min mark around Sonoma Raceway) it was embarrassing. A stock GT3 is capable of sub 1:50 around that track. I know I'm not even close to being a good driver but after the second lap I got so bored I passed him and left him in the dust. He didn't say much to me after that session.

 

I guess I missed you there!

I saw the same car. I thought he just stopped by to say 'hello'. I never saw the car on the track. Of course, we had some rain, so the less hardcore people took flight!

 

A friend has the PCCB's on his RS. Very competent driver. Never once heard him complain that he didn't have enough brake. In fact, quite the opposite. Loves them.

Why do I have this mental picture of a guy driving a 4.0 with Michelin Super Sports complaining about not having enough brake at the track, followed by a "race" shop seeing dollar signs.

 

Bill, funny that we missed each other. You must have been in the white Cayman R? I was in breaking-in the Atlas Gray GT3, and trying to stay warm in the car between sessions.

Now that you mention it I never actually saw the 4.0 on the track. I just saw him getting it tech'd and a student-sticker on his windshield. Maybe the cold, rain, and his Sport Cups scared him (or his instructor) off? Who knows, I didn't even see him bring a helmet. See you next time.

 

I have PCCBs and I love em. They might sound bad sometimes like you all know, squealing , but they perform beautifully. My car has almost 60K miles and they still look and perform like brand new. I have heard that if you heat cycle them too many times in a row you can ruin them, which is why the track guys change to steel rotors I am assuming...

 

I agree. I have PCCB and I plan on actually using them. If they ever go bad (I don't track that much and if I do it is in the green group) then replace them with steel.

 

To the guy who owns the GT3 came on this thread and subsequently deleted his post, I don't get the logic of "PCCBs are too expensive to replace rotors so I'm going to replace them with a 28k brake system". You can get three sets of replacement ceramic rotors for that price.

 

My RS also came with PCCB, but I replaced them with steel rotors for the following reasons:

1. Cost of consumables. If you do more than 10 track days per season, you will spend money on tires, brake pads, and brake rotors. PCCB rotors are expensive to replace; Suncoast parts have the front rotor set at $9800, and the rear rotor set at $8000. The StopTech rotor I use costs $300 to replace per rotor.

2. PCCB rotors are more fragile: if road debris happen to get in between the brake pad and rotors, the rotor could be seriously damaged.

3. More brake pad choices for steel rotors.

4. PCCB is very difficult to modulate. It was like pressing a brick when I braked at Laguna Seca, and making heel and toe difficult, if not impossible. With the steel rotors, I am able to modulate the braking better, and the brake pedal did go down on hard braking, making it easy to heel and toe.

Just my 2 cents.