Same price as the Brembo "Indy" BBK while delivering a NSX-specific purpose-built brake system with more advanced technology, higher quality materials, and larger rotors.
The C6 Z06 caliper uses 6 small pads (6 piston caliper) that seem to be poorly held in place by weak retaining clips. Since each pad is not securely held in place they have a tapered wear and apparently move around a little in the caliper itself, which causes problems.
I'm not sure if the C6 Z06 calipers were designed to be a multi-pad or if it was a marketing afterthought since a traditional 1-piece pad (like from Carbotech) can be installed into the caliper and apparently solves the problem. I think another contributing factor for dropping the OEM system for track use is rotor replacement costs and resale value. It makes more sense to shelf the stock brake system and track an aftermarket BBK which works just as well.
The PFC caliper is the same design and architecture as their LeMans-winning, 24 Hours of Daytona-winning, JGTC-winning, etc... calipers. It is not only race-proven, but a race-winning, tried and true design. They are designed to be a multi-pad caliper with each pad held securely by the shape/forging of the caliper itself. The caliper holds the pad in place, not a tiny retaining clip.
The problem with 4 and 6 piston calipers is that the pistons don't control the pad very well due to the brake pad's shape, size (length) and connection between the two pistons. This under-utilizes the pressure exerted on the pad and this can lead to uneven or tapered pad wear.
The advantage of the PFC multi-pad caliper is each piston controls its corresponding pad much better than a single pad alone. Because there is more even pressure distributed across the surface area of each individual pad, the result is better, more consistent wear and pedal modulation, control, and feel.
**Performance Friction makes traditional single-pad calipers in both 2-piece as well as monoblock, in 4 and 6 piston layouts. But for the highest level of motorsports, the Forged monoblock 4-piston multi-pad layout is used. Because I am a sucker for cool things, I asked PFC to make the NSX 'street system' (which was developed for the FXMD Time Attack NSX) in the forged monoblock multi-pad layout.
Billy
