Brembo Brakes & C7 from Detroit Newspaper
01-27-2013, 05:47 PM
#1
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Brembo Brakes & C7 from Detroit Newspaper
Brembo expands Michigan plant
From today’s Detroit Free Press 1/26/2013
Italian supplier Brembo has expanded its Michigan plant to produce brakes for the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Previously, Brembo supplied small numbers of brakes to the $111,600-plus Corvette ZR1 supercar. This is the first time the company, which specializes in lightweight, high-performance brakes, has supplied all Corvette models. Its factory in Homer, near Jackson, will assemble the brake discs and calipers into corner units that include bearings and knuckles.
Brembo ships the corner units to the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky.
North America has become Brembo's second-largest market since it opened a tech center in Plymouth in 2010.
From today’s Detroit Free Press 1/26/2013
Italian supplier Brembo has expanded its Michigan plant to produce brakes for the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Previously, Brembo supplied small numbers of brakes to the $111,600-plus Corvette ZR1 supercar. This is the first time the company, which specializes in lightweight, high-performance brakes, has supplied all Corvette models. Its factory in Homer, near Jackson, will assemble the brake discs and calipers into corner units that include bearings and knuckles.
Brembo ships the corner units to the Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky.
North America has become Brembo's second-largest market since it opened a tech center in Plymouth in 2010.
01-27-2013, 06:38 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
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The brembos on the zr1 are great. No personal experience.
But, I seem to recall the brakes on the 2013 Shelby overheated in a magazine test, they were brembos also.
Lets hope the C7 gets the good stuff.
But, I seem to recall the brakes on the 2013 Shelby overheated in a magazine test, they were brembos also.
Lets hope the C7 gets the good stuff.
01-27-2013, 07:46 PM
#6
Racer
Steel brakes will perform fine for 99% of users! I am glad to see GM went with a Brembo as a starting point and also having a proven ceramic set up to meet top dog needs! I just spent over 5K for a set up for the track that I would have gladly paid extra for when I bought my car. 
01-27-2013, 08:01 PM
#7
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer. In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
01-27-2013, 08:20 PM
#8
Racer
Just remember one thing (or even a couple ): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer.
In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer. In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
01-27-2013, 08:20 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Just remember one thing (or even a couple ): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer.
In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer. In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
01-27-2013, 08:24 PM
#10
Drifting
Just remember one thing (or even a couple ): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer.
In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
): the Brembos that may be on the Corvette, or any other car, may or may not be exquisite, high-end brakes. They may be very good. They may even be better than anything else that has been on the car before. But, like everything, they can be, and are, "specced" (specifications written) and built to that specification, at a cost NTE (not to exceed) to the car manufacturer. In other words, it is a form of "outsourcing" and in this case to a big name company. But the parts themselves probably won't be up to the needs/requirements of say, a Ferrari or a domestic MB (used/sold in Germany for sustained, triple-digit speeds).
That doesn't take anything away from the "name" or the performance; I'm just cautioning against believing these are some kind of super brakes which, on the aftermarket scene, would cost literally thousands of dollars, easily into the mid-4 figures up to 5-figures and more.
01-27-2013, 08:36 PM
#11
Racer
Exactly! GM could have had ANY brake supplier make the brakes to the specification they wrote. The brakes will be as good as GM decides they want, not as good as BREMBO decides. That is why it amazes me people cry about the Bose stereo. Bose knows how to make good stuff. Some Bose is junk, and some is not. But the Bose on the Corvette is whatever GM was able to work out with Bose to meet a compromise of cost and performance. Brembo will do the same with the brakes.
01-27-2013, 08:56 PM
#12
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Someone say Brembo?...
That plant near Jackson is an old Kelsey-Hayes factory....toured it once years ago.
That plant near Jackson is an old Kelsey-Hayes factory....toured it once years ago.
01-27-2013, 09:49 PM
#13
Melting Slicks
The ZR1 brake rotors are cheramic - not so on the horse! The base model Brembos are better then C6 brakes, so the C7 is going to be a big improvement with Brembos on them. Wonder if the C7 Z06 will get cheramic rotors as a standard item, like the ZR1?
Last edited by Joe aka - KODAK; 01-27-2013 at 09:52 PM.
01-27-2013, 10:00 PM
#14
01-27-2013, 10:08 PM
#15
Racer
I think the big idea here is if you want to upgrade your performance to the Z51 you get some brakes that can handle track duty from GM without spending 5K for a set of after market brakes that you have to trust are properly engineered for your car. So at a price point of half of that you get more brakes because you are already invested in what the car would come with! Kind of like upgrading your C6 interior to world class...use half of what GM would spend to get you to a good C6 interior and double it and get a great C7 interior.
01-28-2013, 08:08 AM
#16
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St. Jude Donor '15
"In honor of jpee"
Those may be minor, and I tend to doubt that real performance items will be different. But, so far there may be only one, production, out-the-door C6 that can perform and stop at consistent, hours-long, autobahn speeds. And it is over $100K MSRP, the ZR1.
01-28-2013, 08:20 AM
#17
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"Ask Tadge" Producer
...but that's not what we have here on the C7.
Your attempt at whizzing on the excitement regarding the Brembos on the base C7 is, quite honestly, pathetic. The point of the excitement is: THEY'RE NOT FLOATING CALIPERS ANYMORE! Further, they're not made by that 3rd-rate brake company named PBR.
The base C5 was and is a reasonably fast car. So is the base C6. There's no reason, other than, "they're too heavy and too expensive" for Corvette to have continued using those cruddy floating calipers from PBR. Simply put: floaters are garbage when significant amounts of heat are pumped into the system. They flex, bend, and generally don't hold up to the abuse as well as a fixed caliper does.
As much as I love Corvettes, this is the one mechanical area I've always criticized them about. It wasn't until the ZR1(!) that they finally addressed the issue. You'll say, "But wait! The C6 Z06 did with the fixed 6-pot calipers!" No, the Z06 attempted to, but they were still made by PBR and were (and are) garbage. Padlets? Gimme a break. I need real brakes, please.
What we have on the base C7 is a set of calipers made by a well-known, top-rated brake company. Those calipers will hold up to the continued abuse of track duty, and will give owners a huge catalog of pads they can choose from, should they desire.
There's absolutely nothing but good news regarding this new alliance between Corvette and Brembo.
jas
01-28-2013, 09:32 AM
#18
01-28-2013, 09:44 AM
#20
Instructor
If anyone was watching, the Ganassi racecar changed out brake assemblies in 1.5 minutes three times at Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. Seeing that Brembo is assembling a similar setup for the C7 (hub carriers, bearings, calipers, rotors, etc.), all we need is a quick disconnect brake line to swap out track and street setups. This is great news! Track use wears out all these parts, not just pads. The heat cooks the seals in the caliper pistons and wheel bearings, so being able to pull everything as a unit will allow us to do overhauls on a bench. Now we just need to be able to buy the whole assembly at a price lower than ala carte.
