Some of the terms often associated with high-performance brakes are confusing, so we thought an article that dispels some of the mystery associated with the subject was in order. At the very least, reading this introduction will get you on your way to understanding the superior quality of performance brakes.
Performance kits are designed for big cars with lots of engine, horsepower, or extra weight that make the ability to slow down or stop quickly essential. Custom brakes can also increase the value of a car by simply making it more visually appealing to the eyes. This is the dividing line between aesthetics and true performance requirements. Depending on the vehicle, these two factors are either diametrically opposed or equally considered to produce the best design.
For instance, consider the differences between cross-drilled and dimpled rotors. The technique of drilling holes directly through disc brakes originated in the 1960s as a strategy to dissipate heat and counteract the gas and debris that built up in the gap between disc and pad, hurting performance on demand. The side effect of this technique was that the discs cracked under stress or wore out prematurely.
By contrast, modern manufacturers use superior engineering to mold components together. In effect, they either don't drill directly through rotors (dimpled), add vertical slots, or cross-drill at an angle to balance the stress more effectively and still achieve the same result. Stronger metals like silicon carbide also hold up better to the extreme temperatures and force applied by the weight of the vehicle.
This is the main reason for the gradual transition to carbon-ceramic brakes (officially known as ceramic composite, or CCB) throughout the automobile industry. A Ferrari 612 Scaglietti can reach 100 kph in four seconds, but it can also stop on a dime from 160 kph in the same time. This type of technology, currently available on only the most expensive cars on the lot, will eventually filter down to the kind of cars we drive to the corner store.
Ferrari has taken the lead on this issue by including carbon-ceramic brakes on all their vehicles. Porsche has also optioned performance brakes for their latest models, like the Boxster S and the 911 GT3. Combined with aluminum calipers, CCBs absorb heat much more efficiently, don't rust, and they're up to fifty percent lighter than steel.
And what does less weight in a moving vehicle contribute to? Little things, like handling, aerodynamics, fuel efficiency " all the things that make car companies drool. If you're building either one or fifty thousand high performance cars, there is no downside, except the extra expense, which you, in turn, pass on to the consumer.
In fact, ceramic and carbon fiber materials are becoming more the rule than the exception in modern auto design. Body panels, seats, chassis, mufflers, air filters " the list is extensive. The problem in stretching this philosophy to entire vehicles, of course, is that all this modern metallurgy requires cost and sophistication that some automakers are unable or unwilling to invest in, particularly in lean economic times.
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