Chris from Cali

jphughan

Steel. On the GT3 forums, it appears that even the stock PADS can handle track duty, but even if they can't, on the track the additional lifespan of PCCB pads and rotors doesn't come close to being commensurate with the higher running costs, and that's before considering the risk of nicking one during a wheel swap or off-road excursion, causing you to need to replace it and probably the other one on that axle early. They may be the ultimate "drive it on the street, show up to the track with no mods, run it hard, and drive it back home" option, and I wouldn't mind the lighter feel and ride from the reduced unspringing weight, but unless money is absolutely no object, I don't see the point for track people. And for non-track people who are buying this car (why??), you'd have to really hate brake dust or love the looks to justify the cost.

Fwiw, there are lots of track people on Rennlist who bought used Porsches with PCCBs and switched to steel, planning to only reinstall PCCBs at resale.

Steve D

Steel all the way. One of the easy option choices for me.

hff

steel

MP4L

Steel and getting callipers painted Yellow goes better with Sapphire Blue IMHO.

981GT4

Steel.

Nacelle

red steel.....

Ferrarisimo

The only reason I'm considering PCCB is because of the unsprung weight savings. Given how harsh the car is going to be on the road, any weight saved along the suspension is going to be a huge bonus.

A much, much smaller bonus is that the yellow calipers look nicer and would match the yellow seat belts that I'd like to do. On that note, for those of you advising others to have Porsche paint the calipers on delivery, are you being facetious or is that actually an option?

HoBoJoe

I recently held a PCCB rotor and it's nothing short of amazing. However, take a peak at suncoast parts and look at what it will cost you to replace a pair of rotors. Most forum posts I see on PCCB replacement is doing steel conversions due to costs.

GT4000

why facetious? if they won't do it anyone else will.

not trying to persuade you of steel rotors, but will you really notice the unsprung weight? im sure with the steel brakes and a lightweight 19" wheel there won't feel much of a difference. just my 2c

Ferrarisimo

I went from a 19" Style 220M (forged) to a 19" Style 359M (cast, +.5" width) on my E92M, and felt the difference. Steering was a bit heavier and pot holes hit the car harder. I think the weight difference between those two wheels isn't as big as the weight difference between steel and PCCB rotors, and the GT4 is lighter than the M3, so the ratio of weight saved relative to the weight of the car is even larger. So, yeah, I think I'd feel the difference if I had the opportunity to drive a steel- vs. PCCB-equipped GT4 back-to-back.

At any rate, I'm by no means committed. Hell, my allocation is still very much up in the air. Just weighing my options... no pun intended.

PeteyDaddy

Steel. Just can't bring myself to spend the $$

GT4000

unless you can buy 2 gt4's it'll probably be hard to do this experiment. however, if you have the $$ then why not pccbs. ive had them on the cayman gts and they were sublime (so the gt3's pccbs will be even better). didnt track the gts though...

m3irish

PCCBs are an interesting option choice on the GT4 given the cost and potential audience. On a GT3 they seem mostly sought after and likely an option that will help resale. On the flip side the used market of the GT4 may be more in fear of the cost of the PCCBs in general.

Resale thoughts aside it comes down a few pluses and minuses of mixed use. For those who track more often there is the looming cost of replacement. During street driving the PCCBs benefits look to be long life and low dust. A solution for track and street driving would be steel replacements for the PCCB rotors/pads. Since the caliper needs to come off for track pads either way why not run a set of track pads and steel rotors for track duty swapping back to PCCB rotors and pads for the street.

I'm ok swapping between steel and carbon for the track/street allowing me to enjoy the benefits of both sides. Resale will push me one way or another and I'm not sure which way to go. If PCCBs don't hurt resale I will likely tick the PCCB box.

Thoughts?

jphughan

I guess this would technically work if you can find steel rotors that fit the PCCB calipers, but a few observations:

1. I'm 95% sure that PCCB also includes different ABS/PSM tuning and possibly a different brake master cylinder, so even if a steel replacement kit is available, it won't be exactly the same as getting steel from the factory -- and that's before considering that the steel rotors you'd run in this caliper would likely be 410mm to match the CCB, so those rotors might be even heavier than the stock steel brakes, unless maybe they increase the inner diameter to compensate for the larger outer diameter.

2. This strategy doesn't alleviate the risk of messing up a PCCB rotor while swapping wheels, in fact it actually increases the risk since you're now handling the PCCB rotors themselves for removal/reinstallation.

3. At this point you're getting PCCB purely for its street benefits, which are simply low brake dust, maybe looks, and perhaps some difference in feel due to the reduced unsprung weight. It seems like a very high price to pay for those perks just in the option cost, never mind the ongoing maintenance costs. And speaking specifically to the reduced unsprung weight, I agree that it's unlikely anybody outside of the press will be doing back-to-back testing on PCCB and steel-equipped GT4s, and even if the difference is perceptible, I doubt it will be on the level of the PCCB guys saying, "Wow, this car rides so great and I'm sure PCCB is the reason why -- I'm so glad I got it!" and the steel guys saying, "Wow this ride is pretty harsh. I bet PCCB would have really improved things." And even if the feel is perceptibly different, so what? I noticed a lighter steering feel when I got my StopTech BBK and then heavier steering when I switched from PSS to AD08 R on my M3, but in both cases within 10 miles I had adapted and stopped giving the steering a second thought; it was just how the car felt now. But more to the point, frankly I question the assumption that the GT4 will be a harsh ride. The GT4 reviews say that the ride is firm, but not harsh -- which is consistent with the 991 GT3 owner comments that the car is totally livable as a DD for someone who's used to sports cars rather than Rolls-Royces. At this point I'm much more concerned about ground clearance issues and egress from the bucket seats (particularly in tight parking spaces) than ride quality.

As for resale, I think the thus-far unanimous preference for steel in this thread (the only PCCB people aren't 100% committed) is a reasonable indicator of what people may want come resale time. I personally don't think PCCB will improve resale, in fact it may go the other way. But either way, I don't anticipate the impact being significant, since after all you can retrofit PCCB onto a stock steel setup and vice versa, albeit with some potential differences from the real stock setup I mentioned in Point #1. That said, I don't believe in optimizing cars for resale. I'd much rather choose options that I'd enjoy rather than the next guy, particularly on a car I expect to keep for several years.

Just my 2 cents.