Gauging Interest: Carbon ceramic brakes


Are you interested in a complete carbon ceramic brake kit priced between $15K-18K

  • Yes

    Votes: 9 20.9%
  • No

    Votes: 34 79.1%

  • Total voters
    43

kmillen

Well-known member
Jan 29, 2007
504
OK Gents,

As many of you know we developed an aftermarket carbon ceramic brake kit for the Nissan GT R and it worked extremely well. The rotors were half the weight of factory and overall performance was truly amazing. We put them through an extreme test in the Targa Newfoundland rally and we never once had an issue.

I have been asked by a few forum members if this is something that we will ever offer for the Ford GT and I would love to say yes but it all comes down to demand. So, how many people would be interested in purchasing a set of CCM brakes for the Ford GT?

These brakes will cost between $15,000-$18,000.00. The $3,000.00 difference really depends on whether or not we can retain the factory caliper. Our engineer's think we can but 4 new calipers and associated mounting hardware would run around $3,000.00 if we ended up having to go that route.

You also might be asking, why would it be $15,000.00 for CCM brakes when the ZR-1 CCM brakes are only $1,000.00 each. Well, it's simple, the ZR-1 uses a manufacturing process very different than the AP Racing carbon ceramic brake discs. The ZR-1 uses a method very similar to aftermarket carbon fiber or fiberglass body parts. Basically the outsides are finished with sheets of carbon but the inside structure is chopped up carbon. Also a very similar method to aftermarket carbon fiber hoods or body paneling. The AP Racing CCM brakes are hand laid layers of carbon material.

What does this mean for functionality? If you somehow manage to damage the CCM rotor on a ZR-1, you throw away that rotor and replace it. So if you get a rock stuck in a caliper, or slightly warp the rotor or anything like that, you can not resurface that type of CCM rotor because there is not enough of a layer to remove.

If you put a gouge in an AP Racing CCM rotor or you manage to get a little warp in there, you can send them out for re-surfacing and they can be ground smooth again. We actually did this during our testing. We purposely overheated the front rotors to see how they performed and what would happen. We reached insane temperatures and it took A LOT of work to reach those temperatures. We loaded additional weight in the car, we blocked off all ventilation through the wheels and wheel wells and really tried hard to cook the rotors. We were successful and proved that they can be re-surfaced and re-installed on the car. We actually installed them back on the car the day before the Targa rally started and did not even need to re-bed the brakes or anything and they worked flawlessly the entire week and they are still in great shape today having been run again at another track day in Texas before coming home.

Also, the $15,000-18,000 price tag gets you new hats and mounting hardware, pre-bed rotors and pads, and everything necessary to complete the installation.

So, who would be interested in a CCM brake kit for the Ford GT?

If you have any questions about the CCM brakes please feel free to ask. I hope to have our lead brakes engineer come on the forum to discuss the benefits of CCM brakes.
 
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BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
Very tempting! My mods never seem to end. I like the idea of less unsprung weight and cleaner wheels. I hope the will fit the stock wheels. :thumbsup
 
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kmillen

Well-known member
Jan 29, 2007
504
With 147 views, only one reply and 11 votes, I'm guessing just about everyone is thinking "no way...not interested?"
 

Mullet

FORD GT OWNER
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Oct 21, 2008
2,468
Houston Texas
With 147 views, only one reply and 11 votes, I'm guessing just about everyone is thinking "no way...not interested?"

How well do you think these would hold up when using them at the Texas Mile, hauling down from 225+ in less than 1/2 a mile?
 

Triheart7

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 3, 2007
2,576
Northern California
With 147 views, only one reply and 11 votes, I'm guessing just about everyone is thinking "no way...not interested?"

My feeling is that I am interested, but not right now.
 

nsfkid

FORD GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 23, 2007
131
Port Credit Ontario
I would love to, but cannot justify the cost as I do not use the car enough.
It really is the best way to go.
Mike.
 

Triheart7

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 3, 2007
2,576
Northern California
nsfkid. Love your Bony"esk" avitar!
 

DanQ

GT Owner
Aug 18, 2005
336
Lake Zurich, IL
Too Much for me. might be worth it in a professional racing series, but not for drivers ed and such. Can the $1K corvette rotor be adapted? I could throw away a lot of those rotors if they got damaged.
 

richardhead

GT Owner
Sep 19, 2006
169
I Believe the New ZR-1 Rotors Cost More than $1,000 per Rotor

My understanding of the new ZR-1 brake rotors is that the dealer cost for EACH of the four is over $4,000...for a total of between $16,000-$20,000 per set of four. I can check with the dealer if anyone is interested.

Note: See following post by BlackICE. The numbers are consistent with my price check posted later. The above number I recalled must have been an estimate for a complete axle set, with the works. Makes more sense when I see the actual numbers from GM. Shows one how your brain works when you are flat in bed for four days with the flu...
 
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BlackICE

GT Owner
Nov 2, 2005
1,416
SF Bay Area in California
List price ZR1 parts

From

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forum...09/159543-will-zr1-ceramic-rotors-swap-v.html





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok, make sure you are sitting down when you read my post.

GM's list cost without any discounts on the 2009 ZR1 are as follows:

FRONT PADS: $775.00 EACH AXLE SET
REAR PADS: $575.00 EACH AXLE SET

FRONT ROTORS: $1695.00 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)
REAR ROTORS: $1695.00 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)

FRONT CALIPERS: $698.72 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)
REAR CALIPERS: $527.81 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)
Complete 2009 ZR1 Total Brake Price: $10,583.06

GM's list cost without any discounts on the 2009 CTS-V are as follows:

FRONT PADS: $379.00 EACH AXLE SET
REAR PADS: $143.00 EACH AXLE SET

FRONT ROTORS: PRICE NOT AVAILABLE FROM GM CURRENTLY
REAR ROTORS: $143.00 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)

FRONT CALIPERS: $527.00 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)
REAR CALIPERS: $354.00 EACH (YOU NEED TO ORDER 2)

ALMOST Complete 2009 CTS-V Total Brake Price Due To Lack of Front Rotors: $2570.00 figure total would be close to $3K.

WOW!!! What a difference in price between the two cars!!!

After hearing the shocking list prices on the ZR1 compared to the CTS-V brake set-up, I was more than happy that I have the CTS-V!!!!

I can get a good discount off of list, but even at my cost, the ZR1 setup is way too much money and definitely not worth the swap providing that the ZR1 setup will be a straight swap to the CTS-V and will clear the CTS-V wheels.
 
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HeritageBruce

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Mar 13, 2006
748
Southern CA
$15K is too much to pay for aftermarket brakes. Not interested.
 

Superfly

HERITAGE GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Jun 23, 2008
2,210
Edmonton, Alberta
Carbon Ceramics are wonderful. I love em on my 911. If it was an option on the GT, I would like them. But to REPLACE the brakes I've already got? Maybe when mine are worn out. Which, all things being equal, will be when my son inherits my car....... Now if they were SIGNIFICANTLY less than 15K, maybe. But that's a bit out of my snack bracket...well, ok, a LOT out of my snack bracket for brakes I don't really NEED to change.
 

nsfkid

FORD GT OWNER
Mark II Lifetime
Sep 23, 2007
131
Port Credit Ontario
nsfkid. Love your Bony"esk" avitar!

Thank you, I still prefered his one though.
My wife has not seen it yet, so might be short lived. :frown
Unless I buy her a pair:banana
Mike
 

PL510*Jeff

Well-known member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Nov 3, 2005
4,881
Renton, Washington
You gotta pay to play.

Price for ceramic setup is reasonable. However, I've haven't found a "reason" to even consider a package like this.
 

richardhead

GT Owner
Sep 19, 2006
169
Pricing Update on 2010 ZR-1 Disk Brake Rotors

Just checked on pricing. The list price for the rotors is $1,695 each, according to the local Chevrolet parts department.


My understanding of the new ZR-1 brake rotors is that the dealer cost for EACH of the four is over $4,000...for a total of between $16,000-$20,000 per set of four. I can check with the dealer if anyone is interested.
 

ViperJoe

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 17, 2006
1,305
Washington Crossing, PA
Can't justify the cost for street use so ..... no interest!
 

B.M.F.

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jan 29, 2009
1,786
Minnesota
I was striaght up told from the engineers at brembo that you could not run a ceramic rotor with a stock caliper, due to the heat, the rubber for the caliper seals has to be a different material. I also had a company called starfire systems look at building a ceramic composite rotor and the price was going to be about 2gs a rotor at cost!

I would think 10000 grand for a kit with calipers would be a good deal. A person can adapt all the zr1 stuff but it will require some modifications to the uprights and by the time your done you will have 10000 in the set up! There are acouple people doing this as we speek!

if you could get the price down it would be great:cheers
 

Ed Sims

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Apr 7, 2006
7,853
NorCal
cc brakes

I went from stock to FRP rotors to the Stillen/AP Racing rotors& calipers. I could've bought the cc brake kit by now! I don't think $15K is unreasonable for cc brakes for the GT. Even for the road only they would be cool.

Ed
 
Aug 25, 2006
4,436
I like carbon ceramic brake setups "very" much and the cost as presented for a "complete" system I would consider acceptable.

Takes care

Shadowman
 

911teo

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jan 5, 2007
628
Surrey, UK
I have upgraded the stock system to the AP caipers/slotted discs etc for track work and it works great.

Ceramics will have the advantage of the weight, but it just does not make sense to use them on the track unless running an unlimited budget.

I am not interested at this price point.