Fumes

my .02 - because it’s not about racing, street cars are 100% about profits. carbon/ceramic sounds like carbon, but it ain’t and there’s no design that will work cold at sreet temps then be durable and effective at crazy high pro race temps.

the margin for porsche and dealers when someone ticks the PCCB box (or indeed most any of those boxes) is big. mostly you get no brake dust, which is nice, and cool big yellow calipers that scream “race car!”

if you want a car you can drive on the street and has the brakes to go flog on the track, porsche and esp GT cars are the ultimate package - but all the modern 911s and Caymans will do quite well. GT3s and RSs do REAL well. street or track porsche (brembo/pfc/stop tech) brakes are mega and the cars pretty light. but the stock brakes have very low limits compared to carbon/carbon, and those need a ton of heat in them, and the right amount of heat, to get into a much higher but narrower operating range. eg as mentioned would never work on a street car,

venom51

Nothing wrong with them other than caliper color choice.

the_vetman

Walter Rorhl said he couldn't tell any handling difference between PCCB and iron. If you're saying you feel better than Walter.... the term "placebo effect" comes to mind.

BillNye

handling ≠ ride quality. I can feel a difference, but changing the weight isn't adding any grip.

JRitt@essex

The PCCB's technically 'work' at track temps for a brief period (they stop the car), but they oxidize when run at track temps for sustained periods of time. So yes, a car like a GT2 RS can come from the factory with them and one should not expect to fade them during a 20 minute lapping session. They also shave a nice chunk of unsprung weight. As noted by others however, disc wear is an entirely different matter. The result is that long-term running costs are absolutely obscene for track purposes. They also have a number of other issues listed below.

From our website:

Repetitive stops from high speeds generate considerably higher brake disc temperatures vs. what could ever be legally or sanely achieved on the street. Various manufacturers producing the current crop of carbon ceramic discs claim to match iron disc durability on the track, but our experience tells us otherwise. While they may be less resistant to warping or deformation at repeated elevated temperatures, the biggest problem with carbon ceramic discs is that they tend to oxidize at track temperatures, showing rough surface eruptions on the disc face. In some cases the oxidation is terminal (chopped fiber discs), and the discs must be scrapped once it occurs. In other cases (continuous fiber discs), the discs can be resurfaced, but only a limited number of times and at a high cost. Most carbon ceramic discs are measured in terms of minimum mass, rather than the traditional minimum thickness used to measure iron discs. Once the minimum mass is reached, the carbon ceramic disc is trash.

Other Potential Pitfalls with Carbon Ceramic Discs

• Low airflow- If you look at a specific car model that offers both iron and carbon ceramic discs as an option, the carbon ceramic discs will almost always be considerably larger in overall dimension, with a specific emphasis on a tall radial depth (distance from outer disc edge to inner disc edge). Whereas an iron disc uses a web of directional internal vanes to speed airflow through the disc, most carbon ceramic discs rely on their large surface area to radiate heat into the air surrounding the disc. Hence, the tall radial depth.
• Expensive and limited range of compatible brake pads- There aren't many brake pad options with carbon ceramic discs. The pads must be compatible with the specific disc material being used, and if they aren't, they can destroy the discs in a hurry. Since brake pads are a very personal choice to most track junkies, carbon ceramic discs don't provide many options for the driver to chase a desired feel. Also as noted above, carbon ceramic discs tend to be very tall radially, which means very large brake pads are required. In the world of brake pads, price is usually directly proportional to size: Bigger = more expensive.
• Poor feel- Experienced drivers will tell you that cast iron discs provide superior pedal feel due to less compress-ability. Some drivers find that carbon ceramic discs feel soft or abrasive at lower temperatures, but feel like stone with little modulation once they heat up. Feel and the resulting confidence is rather important when hurtling towards a guardrail at 150mph!
• High replacement disc cost- Carbon ceramic replacement discs can be hideously expensive. If you do wear out or damage a disc, it can cost thousands of dollars to replace each one. When running carbon ceramic discs hard on a racetrack, the odds of having to replace one or more of them increases exponentially vs. if you only drive your car on the street.
• Damage-prone- Many manufactures suggest covering their carbon ceramic discs when handling them, so they are not chipped or fractured. One knock when changing a wheel can destroy a disc. Additionally, some chemical wheel cleaners or abrasives used in car detailing can damage carbon ceramic discs.
• Splinters- Carbon ceramic discs shouldn't be handled with bare hands, as they can leave carbon splinters in the skin.
• Greater sensitivity to burnishing/bedding-in- Most manufacturers have an explicit, and sometimes intricate, set of instructions for bedding-in their carbon ceramic discs. Iron discs can typically be prepared via a simple series of stops from 60-80 mph with the brake pad of choice.