Ceramic Upgrade....

[HYFR]

At least it is in one piece for when I am in a position to own it, did it go to a good home, DK?

Yes
Really nice guy in Hull
Il give you his number if you like

[Mr V10]

Awesome, will remember that when the time comes.

[Nudenut]

Look at this on eBay:

Audi R8, R8 GT Carbon Ceramic Brake Package Front and Rear with all hardware OEM

http://bit.ly/Ol7fdO

Bit of a noob question: what is it about ceramics that makes them so disproportionally expensive? The cost of materials/manufacture so significant?

The manufacturing process, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrhVHA-3ZBU

[sonny]

Look at this on eBay:

Audi R8, R8 GT Carbon Ceramic Brake Package Front and Rear with all hardware OEM

http://bit.ly/Ol7fdO

Bit of a noob question: what is it about ceramics that makes them so disproportionally expensive? The cost of materials/manufacture so significant?

one word, Monoblock.

[perthwaRS6]

Ceramics are excellent but some posters have experienced cracking and delaminating with 'spirited driving'- view over on audisrs S6 & C6, the unaffiliated link in audisrs.com/about23705.html&highlight=ceramics

FWIW, maybe larger steel discs are the best way to go. Local porsche racing fraternity here stay away from ceramics and stick to steel discs. Probably because cheaper to replace steel discs than ceramics, when wear out.

john

[gdavison]

I am considering both options .. OEM ceramics will sit better with insurance companies, Larger steel (like the LOBA ones) are cheaper.

One "irrelevant" benefit of ceramics is cleaner rims

[HYFR]

Ceramics are excellent but some posters have experienced cracking and delaminating with 'spirited driving'- view over on audisrs S6 & C6, the unaffiliated link in <UnaffiliatedLink>/about23705.html&highlight=ceramics

FWIW, maybe larger steel discs are the best way to go. Local porsche racing fraternity here stay away from ceramics and stick to steel discs. Probably because cheaper to replace steel discs than ceramics, when wear out.

john

I dont agree
My C6 did three track days in 2 months and the brakes were out of this world
Tyres gave in before the brakes even broke sweat

[catfood12]

Catfood, are you just thinking to change fronts, or all round? You will need an ECU recode to deal with going from steel to ceramic, and I don't know if this means you would also need to have ceramic rears as a result.

Let me know if you can get a further discount with a second order, I'm ready to upgrade now also.

ECU difference is just coding. If rain sensor detects rain, RSC/ABS ECU pulses brakes on ceramics to keep moisture to a minimum or keep some heat in them.

Rears are similar price, £2K/disc, and mine seem in good shape so was just going to change the fronts. MRC had a 700HP RS4 in the shop, which had been upgraded to 420mm ceramic fronts and steel rears, with no effect on bias.

If I then have to upgrade rears, so be it.

Interestingly C6 ceramics are same as fitted to 2012 Bentley GTC... I'll also be ringing Bentley Parts to price up. You never know....

[catfood12]

Not a lot of leeway in the pricing. VAG retail for a C6 front ceramic is £2270.10 + VAT. TPS will do at £2054.54 + VAT each, at max discount. They reckon their cost is £2044.32.

[andy]

Eek, that is a chunk of change Don't think I'll be rushing into this upgrade!

[ollys]

Ceramics are excellent but some posters have experienced cracking and delaminating with 'spirited driving'- view over on audisrs S6 & C6, the unaffiliated link in <UnaffiliatedLink>/about23705.html&highlight=ceramics

FWIW, maybe larger steel discs are the best way to go. Local porsche racing fraternity here stay away from ceramics and stick to steel discs. Probably because cheaper to replace steel discs than ceramics, when wear out.

john

I dont agree
My C6 did three track days in 2 months and the brakes were out of this world
Tyres gave in before the brakes even broke sweat

I have it on pretty high authority that traditional iron discs give much better performance on track than carbon ceramics found on high performance sports cars. If you dont believe me, can anyone point to a professional race car with carbon ceramic brakes?

[HYFR]

ollys ... we are not talking about a professional race car

we are talking about a 2 ton saloon / avant

[ollys]

ollys ... we are not talking about a professional race car

we are talking about a 2 ton saloon / avant

I know but we are still talking about dissipating heat most effectively in both applications and iron discs are better...which is why carbon ceramics aren't used on race cars.

[catfood12]

It's the heat build up in the discs after prolonged heavy use. C6 steels don't don't have the capacity to dissipate that amount of heat quickly enough. I have a Murcielago with steels, that I've never got as hot and faded as the RS6 brakes. As post above, we're trying to haul down 2 tons of stuff from three figure speeds repeatedly. I should have ticked that box.......

[catfood12]

ollys ... we are not talking about a professional race car

we are talking about a 2 ton saloon / avant

I know but we are still talking about dissipating heat most effectively in both applications and iron discs are better...which is why carbon ceramics aren't used on race cars.

F1 ?!