Evo magazine just did a back to back test of CCBs vs. iron brakes using two R Coupes at Bedford Autodrome.

20 consecutive emergency stops from 100 mph.

The iron brakes started to fade after the 13 stop, with stopping distance increasing to 112m from a best of 87m.

The CCBs didn't fade at all.

But: the average stopping distance for the iron brakes over all 20 stops was less than for the CCBs (but only by 0.5m).

So, track use, reduced unsprung weight, and the possibility that you never have to replace them would appear to be the advantages.

 

Thanks for that interesting information.

Regarding the "average stopping distance" assessment, this is a common misuse of statistics. Because the fade starts to happen after 13 stops, and the sample size for the number of stops is only 20, the average will still fall towards favoring the iron brakes. However, the iron brakes will continue to fade with each additional stop, whereas the CCB's will continue to perform "at spec". Therefore, I would estimate that by about 25 stops, they would be averaging the same, at which point, the average would begin to favor the CCB's with each subsequent stop after that.

A classic case of "lies, damn lies and statistics".

You need to add sustained performance to your list of advantages. Unless, of course, you rarely drive anywhere that requires more than 20 stops!

 

That's true, but how often would you be doing repeated stops from 100 mph? I'm not sure that a test like this is necessarily representative of anything other than extreme circumstances.

 

+1!!!! Answer: Never, except on a race track. Thus, the cost/benefit just flat doesn't work on a street car.

 

The appeal to me is the un-sprung weight savings, but at the cost of $200/lb it's not quite justifiable either.

 

There is one other benefit, which is the lack of brake dust for the aesthetic perfectionists, but that also pays for multiple lifetimes worth of wheel cleaning.

 

Good point(s).

 

I think you missed the smiley icon at the end of my tongue-in-cheek question about doing more than 20 stops in a trip.

There is NO cost/benefit justification for CCB's on a street only car. Just like there is no cost/benefit justification for a two seat street car with even as much power as the base model F Type, let alone the R.

IMHO, any complaints about cost on a luxury/performance car forum get firmly placed in the category of "first world problems". By all means, have the debate about the technical or performance merits of various items/features but using cost as a rationalisation for why you didn't choose it should only be applied to you personally, not as a justification for why other people shouldn't choose feature X. Otherwise, by extrapolating your justification, the market for Bugatti's, Ferarris, Porsches, mcClarens etc would disappear immediately. And the world would be a duller place for it.

I say, thank goodness for those that say, "what the hell, I'm going to do it anyway!"

 

Bravo, I salute you for that, and you're right. However, no one was raining on your, or anyone else's, individual choice(s). Because it just happened to come up on a new thread, we were simply discussing the technical/cost-benefit merits of ceramic vs. conventional brakes on a street car as a point of interest because, well, it's just interesting, last least to some of us. That's the type of thing that happens on car forums.

 

How much are bragging rights worth to you?

 

Yep - on that point, we're in furious agreement. In fact, never having owned ceramics before, and having had very poor experiences with the Audi brakes on my RS5 and Q7, I am very keen to learn more about ongoing maintenance, failure rates (or not), and performance pitfalls, if any, of CCB's. I am definitely not trying to shut down the conversation - quite the opposite.

I read the thread that StealthPilot posted the link for on the 997 Porsche forum from start to finish, but I'm not sure I felt more enlightened or educated by the end of it. Would love to read any experiences from F Type owners with CCB's who've had their car longer than me (I'm just coming up to a month now).

Oh, and the CCB's on my car sort of chose me, not the other way around - I just happened to find the exact spec car I wanted and was made an end of year offer by the dealer that I couldn't refuse, so the CCB's effectively cost me nothing. (But I probably would have bought them anyway.)

It's all good - let's hear more from others...

Oh, and Shift, I couldn't care less about bragging rights - I know too many guys with WAY more expensive cars than I'll ever be able to afford in this life time!

 

My car choice was similar to yours Oz. I found the colour and car I wanted but it has iron brakes. To be honest I looked at a red R that had CCB's but I don't care for the rims that come with the CCB's. That had more to do with my choice than cost.

 

Also, keep in mind that carbon ceramics tend to squeal from time to time.

I would get some strange looks pulling into parking lots, or up to red lights in my ZR1 all the time.

I loved the little to no dust factor - but hated the occasional squeal.

 

I haven't experienced any squeal at all (yet). Is there any pattern/reason for it? E.g. Cold ambient temperature, wet weather etc??

 

I have the CCB's on my car and my wife's F Type V8S. I don't think she even knows what they are, and she definitely won't track the car. I like the look, no fade, no brake dust & minimal maintenance that comes with the CCB's. So if they're available, I'll always check that box.

 

For me, they would squeal more when they got a tad bit of build-up and were dirty or dusty.

Spraying the wheel and caliper with hose water would wash them out and the noise went away until they got dusty again.

Obviously, I would never do this when they were hot.

I've always been told that CC brakes will make some noise from time to time.

It is possible that the set up Jag uses is completely different - I know for a fact that AMS performance advertises carbon packages for GT-R's that do not make noise

 

Okay, so good for: track use (fade-free), reduced unsprung weight and rotational inertia (works for both track and street use), never having to get them serviced (both again), and reduced brake dust (street use, but it would be nice if there were a choice on the wheels).

 

Yes, it was surprising that they offered such a limited choice of wheels with the CCB's.

Oh, F-typical, don't forget to add to your list:
- they look Kick-*** (works for in motion and stopped at the lights)!

 

. . . as long as you're fond of yellow.

 

Which I am, if used judiciously in small amounts. I've never liked yellow cars though - screams "taxi" to me.

I don't think the yellow calipers work for every car color. They definitely suit darker cars better, but that's just one man's subjective opinion.