Ceramic brakes are the best...

[harrison]

At 22k US the Ceramic system is the best. There seems to be a shortage on the Pagid Yellow track pads people love so much.Actually when the OEM pads were new they worked super.(Track too).A few other options include Raybestos, Porterfield, and Carbotech. I will be trying the Carbotechs, as a few of my freinds at the track are very successfull with them. I will buy the XP12s and report back. I tried out the EBC yellows and they sucked. O K for grocery 'gettin with the Hankook tires. I will track the Carbotech pad, and switch back to the EBCs for the street. The ultimate set-up is supposed to be the Carbotechs with a dedicated set of rotors. What a hassle to change wheels,pads, AND rotors before a track day...but it's either this, or upgrade to the Ceramics. A tracked TT or SC R8 would really benefit from the ceramics !!! P.S. some pads are more rotor freindly than others.

[mngolfer]

I know someone who has a set of front Pagid RS29 yellows with one track day on them that are for sale. Anyone interested PM me.

[R8SAUDI]

only front?

[Heffner Performance]

Harrison,

I couldn't agree more. While we were at Miller Motorsports Park last month we found greatest deficiency of the car to be the brakes. After a hard fifteen minutes of lapping we experienced significant pedal fade. As a result of this we are working on a few upgrades that will come at a lesser cost than a ceramic conversion but ultimately, if you want the best endurance out of your brakes, ceramic is the way to go.

[mngolfer]

Yes, only the fronts on the RS29s.

[Europrice]

Ceramics are the way to go

http://www.r8talk.com/forums/showthr...2888#post52888

I think many people who spend time on track with enhanced power, enhanced traction or other speed/traction enhancements find the R8 brakes to be lacking, even with proper pads. They just don't shed heat well enough, especially when you are running stickier than stock tires, let alone adding modifications that make these cars get to higher speeds than a stock one would achieve in the same distances on track. Upgraded systems that handle higher temperatures or shed the heat more efficiently are imperative in some cases from what I have seen and heard, twin turbo, supercharged, r-compound tires, very high speed tracks with heavy braking zones or tracks with high amount of repeated braking close together without straights for cooling purposes, etc. I have stories of folks having issues with stock brakes and stock pads just with street driving even. I just don't think it's the best system Audi could have used, good, but not amazing for a car as heavy as the R8 or in terms of expecting people to track the vehicle often.

Cheers,

[YUL_R8_V10]

I really think this all comes down to what will you do with your car....

Ceramics are great on the track because you have the potential to generate the heat you need for them to work.

But if you are going to drive the car around town, I find ceramics are more of a menace than a plus.

Just my 2cents!

[harrison]

Yul...The latest and greatest ceramics offered by most of the brands are great stoppers right out of the driveway/garage-COLD. So I have been told. (I haven't tried them yet-there should be some threads about this already). NO horror stories that I know of. When I told My GF that I wanted the 22k ceramic brake kit...she lost her smile. It would be a liability issue for the makers to give us "dangerous when cold" brakes on our daily drivers.

[RXBG]

Ceramics are the way to go

http://www.r8talk.com/forums/showthr...2888#post52888

I think many people who spend time on track with enhanced power, enhanced traction or other speed/traction enhancements find the R8 brakes to be lacking, even with proper pads. They just don't shed heat well enough, especially when you are running stickier than stock tires, let alone adding modifications that make these cars get to higher speeds than a stock one would achieve in the same distances on track. Upgraded systems that handle higher temperatures or shed the heat more efficiently are imperative in some cases from what I have seen and heard, twin turbo, supercharged, r-compound tires, very high speed tracks with heavy braking zones or tracks with high amount of repeated braking close together without straights for cooling purposes, etc. I have stories of folks having issues with stock brakes and stock pads just with street driving even. I just don't think it's the best system Audi could have used, good, but not amazing for a car as heavy as the R8 or in terms of expecting people to track the vehicle often.

Cheers,

disagree on the stock braking system- especially with the claim that they are not enough for even street use, that is really silly. i tracked my R8 various times and only after very heavy use did they start to fade- and even then progressively and predictably. could they have been better? they can always be better. but they are perfectly suited for the car. and they last a very good amount of time with track use before having to replace them. while no one will disagree that ceramics are far superior the standard brakes are excellent. and i've spoken to various R8 drivers over the last 3 years.

if budget is limited and more than 3 track events a year are planned, i would suggest to the new R8 buyer to skip on interior options and buy the ceramics- word on the street is that they will be a factory option in the USA in CY 2011 for a very fair price.

[harrison]

I agree with you RXBG. When the stock OEM pads are in good shape,and with a good race brake fluid, they work EXCELLENT. One of the best non ceramic systems around. I am going to try my luck with some pads made by CarboTech. My freinds swear by them. XP12s up front and Xp10s in the rear.They should be the next best thing to the ceramic system. Did you know that the master cylinder must be changed as well as the rotors,caliper/pads? Why not change to braded steel lines? I wonder if the R8 would benefit by these type of brake lines? ALL of my other vehicles that see extreme braking have stainless steel braided brake lines.