Brakes
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Find out all about one of the most expensive performance upgrades for your car.
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What is brake-by-wire and how do these systems work?
Can a car with no direct connection between the pedal and brake still be safe? Find out here.
Stephen Edelstein -
Has Porsche reinvented the brake rotor?
The Porsche Surface Coated Brake (PSCB) system features rotors unlike anything currently available on production cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Chevrolet patented brake rotors with the Chevy bow tie stamped into them
Patent design drawings detail rotors festooned with the automaker's logo.
Drew Johnson -
How do Formula 1 and Le Mans LMP1 brakes differ?
Formula 1 race cars are amazing feats of motorsport engineering. Equally as amazing, however, are the LMP1 prototype racers that run in the various endurance events around the globe, including the 24 Hours of LeMans. Each type of cars represents the pinnacle of what's currently possible with a race...
Jeff Glucker -
What are the differences between LMP1 and GTE race car brakes at Le Mans?
The 86th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will kick off Saturday with 60 cars competing in four different categories. Although motorsport is often characterized by speed, a race car won't get far without a proper set of brakes to handle corners. And different racers, obviously, require very...
Sean Szymkowski -
Braking systems have changed considerably over decades, but high-performance brake manufacturer Brembo thinks another big change is coming. Brembo’s executive director for braking systems, Giovanni Canavotto, told Car and Driver in an interview published Monday that brake-by-wire systems will become a "strong trend" over the next decade. Thus, Canavotto believes hydraulic braking systems will soon go the way of drum brakes. The executive explained that future brake-by-wire systems will allow for more precise tuning for a variety of attributes. "They can be tailored to the driver and...
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What are the differences between race car and street car braking systems?
You might know that there's a physical difference between race car brakes and street car brakes. The size of the rotors, the materials used in the pads, and the brake lines are all going to be upgraded to handle the rigors of motorsport. But that's only part of the story. Did you know that more is...
Jeff Glucker -
Bosch iDisc brakes are the cleaner, more durable brakes for the future
While regulations surrounding emission standards often focus on tailpipe emissions, brakes and tires actually contribute 32 percent of driving-related particulate emissions. Half of that comes from brake dust alone. On Wednesday, Bosch revealed its answer to a cleaner brake disc called the iDisc...
Sean Szymkowski -
Porsche develops new drum brakes for classic 356 models
Sometimes it's tough to keep classic cars completely original, especially as parts become scarce. Porsche, specifically, Porsche Classic, wants to help its loyal owners keep things all-original with new drum brakes for the 356A and 356B models, which were Porsche's first-ever production cars...
Sean Szymkowski -
Continental reveals aluminum wheel and brake concept for electric cars
Continental has showcased a prototype for a way to boost the braking efficiency of electric cars. Dubbed the "New Wheel Concept," Continental engineered the system to help maximize regenerative braking and create an easier-to-maintain braking system. The concept uses an inner carrier, brake rotor...
Sean Szymkowski -
Will Brakes Of Tomorrow Rely On Supercapacitors Instead Of Friction?
Advances in material science aside, not much has changed with vehicle braking systems over the past 200 years. While today’s antilock, six-piston caliper, carbon-ceramic rotor braking systems may not resemble the leather-pad-against-wooden-wheel systems found on early coaches, friction is...
Kurt Ernst -
When you're developing cars on roads that aren't unknown to feature the odd moose around the next corner, preventing drivers colliding with wild animals is understandably quite a priority for Volvo. To this end, Volvo has been developing a system based on its Pedestrian Detection and Full Auto Brake technology that will reduce the risk of hitting animals that stray out into the road that cause tens of thousands of accidents and injuries every year. It's all part of Volvo's corporate vision for 2020 - that no driver of any new Volvo should suffer serious injury or death. It's a big ask, but...
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2012 BMW 1-Series Hatchback Spy Shots
BMW released an updated version of the 1-Series Hatchback in late 2008 but ever since then suspicious prototypes of a new car with similar proportions and signature BMW styling have been captured running around the south of Germany, and now once again and this time with much of the finer details...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Mercedes planning new shooting brake based on E-Class Coupe
We’ve reported about Mercedes Benz planning to launch a new shooting brake version of its next-generation CLS but latest reports indicate that a smaller version based on the 2010 E-Class Coupe is also in the pipeline and could be on the market by 2011. The shooting brake is essentially a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Brembo forms new joint-venture to bring carbon ceramic brakes to the masses
Seek out any modern supercar and chances are you'll see some carbon ceramic brake discs behind its wheels, often with the Brembo logo emblazoned on them. Now, Brembo is announcing a new partnership with SGL Group, a company specializing in carbon-fiber production, and together the two will jointly...
Kenneth Hall -
Brembo teams with Italian watchmaker for carbon-ceramic special edition
Watches and cars have shared a long history together. Something about the kindred spirit of precision, style and function of both endeavors finds an overlapping fanbase. Few watches exhibit that cross-pollination better than the Meccaniche Veloci Quattro Valvole CCM - a carbon-ceramic watch built...
Kenneth Hall -
IDING Power Ferrari F460GT conversion
With more power and even more aggressive aerodynamics than the factory-built 430 Scuderia, IDING Power's new F460GT offers a new take on a super-performing F430 variant. Boring out the engine and replacing stock parts with carbon fiber are the primary modes of improvement. As the name suggests, the...
Kenneth Hall -
Last year we saw the first test-mules for the next-generation BMW 1-series driving around the streets of Munich in Germany. At first appearance the test vehicles looked like ordinary 1-series hatchbacks but on closer inspection a number of key features revealed several vital clues about the next model. The images revealed that the next 1-series will be bigger than the current model, with a slightly longer wheelbase and wider track. This latter element ties in with BMW’s desire to make the new car sportier than the current one. This also lends to the idea that a new high-performance...
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Preview: Mercedes Benz Shooting Brake based on next-gen CLS
The Mercedes Benz CLS ignited the four-door coupe market when it was introduced back in 2004, and since then we’ve seen several other luxury rivals attempt to emulate the design with cars like the Porsche Panamera, Audi A7 and Aston Martin Rapide all under development. For the...
Alex Kaufmann -
Next-generation BMW 1-series could get 'shooting brake' variant
BMW released an updated version of the 1-series compact late last year and since then a suspicious prototype of the hatch has been captured running around German streets. At first appearance the car looks like an ordinary 1-series hatchback but look closer and you’ll notice several key...
Siddarth Raja -
Brembo working on more affordable carbon-ceramic brakes
The Corvette ZR-1, any number of Ferraris, a and choice selection of the finest automobiles from Italy, Germany and elsewhere - these are fine company, and soon more affordable sports cars could be joining these ranks, at least in terms of brakes. Brembo has this week announced the purchase of the...
Alex Kaufmann