C8 Corvette Z06: Are Carbon Ceramic Brakes Worth the Cost?
Carbon ceramic brakes aren’t cheap, but for those planning to track their C8 Corvette Z06, they might just be worth the cost.
It’s no secret that the C8 Corvette Z06 is a vehicle designed to be used on the track, where it delivers some truly impressive performance for its price point – or any price point, really. However, while many owners obviously won’t ever take these special machines to a track, there are plenty of folks that will, sometimes, on a regular basis. For them, going for pricier options will likely result in better results, and in that regard, carbon ceramic brakes are a pretty enticing box to tick. However, that same part also stirred up a bit of a debate at CorvetteForum recently, which contains some truly valuable information for anyone considering spec’ing their C8 Corvette Z06 with carbon ceramic brakes.
“As I look to either find an allocation or available Z06 on the market now, I come across a dilemma, ceramic or steels?” asked Aku700. “I plan to mainly use the car for tracking, so for those who have tracked a lot, what are the pros/cons? I asked this question at Ron Fellows, the head instructor stated go with the CC, they bite better, don’t overheat and last longer! But I’d guess price for replacing pads are expensive?”
There are, as one might imagine, quite a few varying opinions on the topic of carbon ceramic brakes, which have long been touted as superior options for a number of reasons – albeit for a cost. Carbon ceramics are quite pricey not only to purchase up front, but also, to replace pads and rotors. However, for some, that extra outlay of cash is well worth it.
“I track my Z06/7 on slicks with CCBs,” said mfain. “I have two other cars with CCBs. One is a Viper ACR-E that I have tracked for almost 8 years, and I’m still on the original rotors at 9,600 miles. I religiously swap pads at 1/2 life to keep from taking a chance on damaging the rotors. Yes, the pads are a little expensive. I properly burnish the pads with each change – no short-cuts. I am also a fan of AP brakes, and have a set on another dedicated track car. But, the new, big APs for the C8Z are actually heavier than the factory CCBs. Iron rotors in CCB-equivalent diameters are off-the-chart heavy.”
“Smaller rotors have less swept area and less mechanical leverage. The OP asked about tracking, not street driving, so I will respond accordingly. When properly burnished I seriously doubt you will find another combination (short of REAL carbon-carbon brakes) that will out-brake them. You have to get used to them being a little ‘touchy’ at slower speeds after they are well broken in, but not a problem. When you can get into ABS at high speed, it is the tires that are giving up – not the brakes. I would not swap to iron rotors unless I could find empirical data that supported them outperforming (stopping distance and fade resistance) the CCBs – at any price. This car went 3 years on the same rotors running Global Time Attack events with never a brake issue – and he’s not easy on the brakes.”
“At this point, nobody knows how long the C8Z CCBs will last with heavy track use, we’re all basing it on the C7 Z06, C6, and Porsche experience from a decade ago,” added Poor-sha. “I don’t even know anyone that tried to wear out the improved CCB rotors on the C7 ZR1, I just boxed mine up and went AP from the start. I will say, that the CCB rotors on my Blackwing are holding up remarkably well for a 4,100 lb car that I am flogging for all it’s worth – the car has the same VMAX on the back straight as the C8Z (160 MPH). Plan on new front pads every couple events with the CCBs, maybe longer if you’re willing to run them down to the end. Rotors remain to be seen how long they will last.”
“I don’t know how the CCBs feel on the C8Z, but on the C7Z they were really wooden until they were burnished, but then they had too much initial bite for me. On the Blackwing, I don’t get that high initial bite and I’ve never had them fade – this could be the new copper free brake pads. If I were buying a C8Z today and planned to track it a lot, I’d get a Z07 with CCBs. Run through the first set of front rotors and take notes to see what the ROI is. If it’s not to your liking, then go AP and never look back. I will say that the ease of pad swaps and 25mm pads are a huge benefit to the AP kit.”
Of course, this advice applies to folks that plan to track their C8 Corvette Z06 – not just drive it on the street, where the chief benefit of carbon ceramic brakes will likely be the fact that they don’t produce much brake dust, and they also look quite cool when the car is on display at cars and coffee. On the flip side, if you plan to track your C8 Corvette Z06 at least occasionally and have the dough to spend, it’s hard to argue with the results these CorvetteForum members have had with them.
Photos: Chevrolet
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