Feature
Brake performance for luxury cars Manufacturers pull out the stops for premium vehicles By Mike Mavrigian
Photo courtesy of Lexus
T
oday’s high performance and “luxury” high performance vehicles are
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designed with elevated levels of engine, suspension, steering and braking performance, and command higher price tags as a result. Owners of these ve-
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hicles demand brake system service to match or exceed the OE design in terms of stopping power. Since these vehicles tend to be driven “enthusiastically” on occasion, the customer expects a firm pedal, high levels of stopping power and predictable, no-nonsense braking. Attention to detail when servicing these vehicles is paramount. As engine power increases, accompanied by the potential for higher speed operation, there’s more demand on the brake system, requiring the system to meet these challenges. As a result, expensive luxury/high performance vehicles tend to take
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advantage of braking components that provide a higher level of performance. Rotors tend to be larger in diameter, and sometimes made of more exotic materials than are found on less expensive cars. Brake calipers tend to emulate or duplicate those found on race cars, for superior stopping power under higher speed situations, providing a larger pad contact area and often utilizing fixed caliper designs that feature multiple opposing pistons. In addition, innovations such as brake pad wear sensors and electronic parking brakes are more common.
