Brembo forges joint-venture to bring carbon ceramic disc brakes to the mass market
06/02/2009, 2:15 PM
By Drew Johnson
Carbon ceramic disc brakes are currently reserved for the automotive elite, but a new joint-venture between Brembo and the SGL Group could see the high-tech feature trickle down to more obtainable rides. The two companies will jointly work on a plan to bring carbon ceramic disc brakes to the mass market.
The new company will be headquartered in Milan and will focus on developing carbon ceramic brake technology for passenger and commercial vehicles. The company’s initial customers will include the likes of Aston Martin, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti, but could grow to include more common nameplates.
Thanks to Brembo’s brake experience and SGL’s know-how of the carbon fiber industry, the new company is hopeful it will be able to reduce the overall costs of the technology. However, don’t expect to find carbon ceramic disc brakes on a Ford Mustang any time soon. The process of making a carbon ceramic disc brake is still very labor intensive, requiring the use of several manual and automated systems. Until the production process can be put on a fully automated line, the cost of carbon ceramic disc brakes will remain on par with that of a sub-compact car.
06/02, 2:18 PM
posted by:
A4
I was gonna say… it’s kind of pointless to put ceramic brakes on a car like an E350 or 528i, their benefits are irrelevant unless you’re using them to 95% on say, a race track.
06/02, 2:40 PM
posted by:
shane train
Aston Martin, Porsche, Audi, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti………..
“More obtainable rides”?
06/02, 3:11 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
$16K for Super-Carbon-Ceramic-Disc-Brakes on my daily ride?
But than again I do have BEAR’s monster brake kit on my GT-500… and it’s my daily driver / track / drag-racing / kicking-your-F430as-all over-the-track / car… and they only cost me $6k…. so what’s the big deal…”More obtainable rides”….. HA!
06/02, 3:26 PM
posted by:
shane train
I don’t see how you’re kicking f430’s around the track in a GT-500, if that track has any turns in it.
06/02, 4:41 PM
posted by:
F3INT))AP3X
Agreed, that live axle pony car could never stand up to the pedigree of an F430; and this is coming from someone who would not buy a Ferrari if I had all the money in the world.
06/02, 4:50 PM
posted by:
shane train
I wouldn’t buy a Ferrari if I had all the money in the world either.. I’d get myself something a little more unique, and a little less pretentious.
06/02, 6:38 PM
posted by:
AutoCritical
Please put Brembo’s on a little Toyota Corolla – Then I will get one!
06/02, 7:33 PM
posted by:
The Stig
@A4,
Given the current pricing, yes, absolutely.
But optimizing the production process to drive the prices down is a smart play from which everyone benefits, especially the substantial weight savings.
06/03, 12:56 AM
posted by:
Dante_JoseCuervo
shane train
- While I would buy a ferrari, I do agree that they’re not very unique anymore. I’d get… a koenigsegg. That would be a nice car to have some CCs on. Wouldn’t mind them on my A4 though, get some track days in here and there.
06/03, 12:37 PM
posted by:
shaver
Comment
06/03, 2:08 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Once again… just because you spent 1/4 of a million dollars on a sports car it dose not make you a better driver… If that was the point Wrecked Exotics web site won’t be around… http://www.wreckedexotics.com/
And besides a SCCA Pro license for the past 10 years 2 weekend a month non stop… I’m sure I can out drive a F-430 with a average driver…
Ohooo…. snap! I already have….
06/03, 2:09 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
MORE THEN ONCE……..