AviBen

As I contemplate whether to make any changes in my order (for a Boxster GTS) before it locks, one issue I'm wrestling with is whether to stick with the steel brakes or to go for the PCCBs. I have PCCBs on my 911 TTS and, except for some squeaking within the first 3,000 miles, they've been outstanding, of course. The question is whether it's worth the extra $7,400+. How good are the 718's steel brakes? Your thoughts, please? Thanks in advance.

DBH

On the road you'll probably not notice the difference in stopping performance or fade unless you're a very aggressive driver. The PCCB's produce less brake dust but are a $7.5k option. For a street car, it's really just a great status symbol IMHO.

terbiumactivated

Yep, besides we have Brembo brakes for god's sake it's not like you're sporting rear drums like my Ford

PorscheAddict

The steel brakes still get sub 100 feet 60-0 and perform superbly. PCCB's are really just a status symbol IMO. Even on track, steel is just fine.

Clark-ApexPerformance

Replacement cost of the PCCBs is $24,000. If you are going to track the car I would go steel.

AviBen

Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated!

Mark Dreyer

If they are as good as the 981 Spyder steel brakes, you’ll be very happy with them.

Alan C.

Go with the iron brakes. If you drop a wheel on the rotor and damage it that could be a $12,000 oops. They are sold in pairs.

SpyderSenseOC

My dealer tech buddy told me (as I was explaining how I didn't need the PCCB's) that the rotors almost never need replacement under normal use in a street-car context and the pads go 50K miles or more. Add to that the fact that I will NEVER put that many miles on my car, they generate far less brake dust, and the yellow calipers look so damn good with the Carrera White paint and platinum wheels, I am glad I have them.

Also, the popular perception seems to be that you don't need PCCB's (multiple prior posts called them "status symbols" lol - I don't know about that) and because of that perception used cars with PCCB's don't seem to fetch nearly a dollar for dollar return on them. The subsequent owners, like me, get a steal of a deal.

hacker-pschorr

How much is a can of caliper paint?

GregWormald

If it's authentic Porsche paint it'll be at least $5000.

manifold danger

Speccing any CCB on a new car is almost always a complete waste of money. Really the only true benefit will be cars that are tracked excessively to the point of being dedicated track cars. Not to say they're not great to have; if you're lucky enough to find a used car with them as SpyderSense has, then that's the way to go. But I personally would never click that box for PCCBs unless I won the lottery and was buying a GT3RS that would basically be seeing the track 4-5 times a year, at least.

One other thing worth mentioning- if you do happen to come across a used car with PCCBs, it might be beneficial to dig around a little into the car's history. Pretty sure all of the cars at the Porsche experience centers have PCCBs, and those cars do get redistributed into the dealer network used car population, and probably described as "demos". I'm sure they're well maintained and all of that but from my perspective it would be at least nice to know what a car's been through before I buy it.

500

From a pure performance point of view, there must also be some benefit from the lower un-sprung weight, but again, this is probably something that only really serious driving will expose.

The steel brakes on all Boxsters/Caymans have always been top-notch. The 718 non-S gets the same brakes (sans red color) as the 981 S, and the 718 S has even larger brakes (from the 911 Carrera). They are outstanding brakes and if I was putting in an order, I would not specify PCCBs under any normal circumstances.

If money truly is no object, than sure, go for PCCBs (but "money no object" also assumes you would not miss a beat if you did need to replace a pair of rotors due to accidental damage etc.)

binky

The 718S brakes went soft on me after one hard track day. The pads and fluid should be upgraded for the track.
Not a bad brake for the road.

Mark Dreyer

My 02 Boxster S track car brakes would go soft also at Sebring Raceway. I’m not sure which was more important in fixing that issue. Was it high temp brake fluid, stainless steel brake lines, GT3 master cylinder and GT2 cooling ducts I installed, or was it the thousands of $’s in pro coaching I purchased which enabled me to learn how to go around the track with less use of the brakes? Probably some of each.