solekeeper

The 6 pistons look sexy, but are they more looks than performance? i've not noticed anything overly spectacular with the 6 pot setup. i still think the best brakes i've ever experienced (in terms of bite) was a toyota tundra.

asking this based on street use..

how do these 6 pistons stack up against the new m4?

bhamg

Only one aspect of overall braking performance but this from Bimmerpost:

70 mph ~ 0 braking distance:

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 137 ft (Car and Driver)"]Car and Driver[/url])
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 142 ft (Car and Driver)
BMW M4: 143.4 ft (Autocar)
Porsche Carrera 911S: 147 ft (Car and Driver)
BMW M4: 151 ft (Car and Driver)
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507: 156 ft (Car and Driver)

60 mph ~ 0 braking time/distance:

BMW M4: 2.4 s (Autocar)
Jaguar F-Type R: 101 ft (Motor Trend)
Nissan GT-R: 101 ft (Motor Trend)
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507: 103 ft (Motor Trend)
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 7MT: 104 ft (Motor Trend)
BMW M5: 110 ft (Motor Trend)

100 km/h ~ 0 braking distance:

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray: 33.3 m (Sportauto)
Porsche Carrera 911S: 33.5 m (Sportauto)
Nissan GT-R: 33.8 m (Sportauto)
BMW M4: 33.9 m (Auto Bild)
Audi RS5: 33.9 m (Auto Bild)
BMW M4 6MT: 34.4 m (Auto Motor und Sport)
Porsche Carrera 911S: 34.9 m (Sportauto)
BMW M5: 37.5 m (Sportauto)
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507: 38.7 m (Sportauto)

solekeeper

thanks for that.

not so good... amg

BLKROKT

Huh? A 3900lb car (C63) outbrakes from 70mph a 3200lb car (Corvette Stingray), and is equal to a GT-R from 60mph. How is that "not good"?

That's called "damn good" in my book.

zibby43

+1

The W204 C63's brakes have been very well-reviewed. The C63 Black Series utilizes the same calipers and has recorded stopping distances of less than 100 feet (e.g., ~99 ft for 60-0 mph). I've also seen 101-ft stops.

Here's an excerpt from a review of the C63's braking capabilities:

"Braking: Absolutely impressive braking abilities. Utterly firm pedal, zero ABS commotion, nearly zero nosedive, dead-straight stops."

Front: 6-piston fixed calipers (Brembo)

Rear: 4-piston fixed calipers (Brembo)

In my experience, the W204's brakes are fantastic. With good pads and good fluid, they absolutely hold their own on the track. Tons of bite. Relatively good pedal feel. Great fade resistance.

My W204's brakes are better than the M Performance brakes I had on my last car (and the M Performance calipers are the same calipers used in the F8X's default/standard/steel braking setup; 4-piston fixed front Brembo calipers w/ 2-piston fixed rear Brembo calipers). Keep in mind I loved my M Perf. brakes. I used them on the road and on the track. I just think the C63's are a bit better.

zibby43

Are you talking bite or pedal feel?

The reason I ask is because many standard cars today come with brakes that feel like an "on/off" switch. That is, very minimal pedal travel is required to get the brakes to bite hard. It's basically a safety feature that errs on the side of caution.

On a performance car, you do not want that type of pedal feel. With a performance-oriented braking setup, you want to be able to linearly modulate the brakes. Whether on a spirited drive or on the track, you can trim just the amount of speed you want with a good, linear brake pedal feel. When you need to hit the pedal hard, the bite is absolutely going to be there.

The pedal feel should be progressive. As you depress the brake pedal further, the bite should increase correspondingly. I promise you that if you get into the pedal on your W204, you will be met with some serious bite/clamping power.

So on your Tundra, if you didn't have to work the pedal very far to get good bite, that doesn't necessarily say anything about stopping power (although those Tundra brakes still may have been great brakes overall). If you're not used to a pedal you have to modulate more, the "on/off" style brakes can be perceived as having more bite because they bite harder earlier on.

roadtalontsi

Ya, theres a reason these brakes are on a 80,000$ car. They are pretty badass, considering the weight of the car. You also have to think about the tires too. Most of those cars on the list above come with softer tires than the c63 does. You cant judge braking performance on the streets either. Feel is a totally different story. The MB Mclaren SLR has amazing brakes, however since they are brake by wire - electronically controlled they got hammered on "feel" maybe you'd like the way those bite better? lol.

avery.whss

ive smashed the brakes @ 200-0 ...stomped them..didn't skid and it stopped probably in roughly 100-150 feet ..the brakes had a smell after but hey..car stops crazy quick @ those speeds

Also the guy who says his tundra brakes bit more...it's meant for the sheeple..On / Off - I drive anything besides a mercedes now and it feels like a junker..steering either feels off, or it rides like crap, or something else..I jump into any benz 20 years old or not and it feels more stable then the new mass made crap

Diabolis

Amen.

When performing a single stop, it all comes down to the amount of friction between the tire and the road and the weight of the car. For as long as the brakes can lock up the wheels they are not the weakest link in a single-stop scenario, so the stopping distance test as a measurement of braking performance is completely useless. The stopping distance test will always favour the combination of stickiest tires and lowest mass (inertia) regardless of the actual brakes. My dad's old '74 Fiat 600 that weighed 600 kg and had drum brakes will still outbrake everything on that list - at least the first time.

odonnks

From Motor Trend's C63 v S5 comparo

Both registered curt 60-0 stopping distances: 103 feet for the C63 and 104 feet for the RS 5. That's not to say the C63 didn't offer great brake feel. With lovely, high engagement that allowed gentle breathing on the pedal to start the slowdown process, yet prodigious bite when really needed, the Benz's binders were nothing short of excellent.

Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz3XOP9b2UQ

kamalpatel12448

So I had a little incident one day - on winter tyres, dry but cool day, threw the parachute out as lights ahead changed and I was going to respect red, and yes was a bit of a spirited straight drive I was on. Result - shockingly good braking, hazard lights started flashing with a little bit of ABS feeling in the pedal, but very impressed and now know how hard the braking can be in an emergency.

solekeeper

interesting info guys!

zibby43

That's exactly what I getting at in my discussion of brake pedal feel (post #6).

The more you can modulate the brake pedal, the more precise you can be with trimming speed. And I have to concur with that assessment. With the C63's brake setup, there's a solid engagement point early in the travel but the brakes don't suddenly bite as hard as possible. As you continue to depress the pedal, the bite increases predictably (and reassuringly).

Good stuff, odonnks.

Surge

Do all C63s have the same brakes? Seems like some have bigger rotors?
Does the Black and 507 have bigger rotors, and then there's the composite rotor - is that on all C63s?

chrisridebike8

The Black Series has larger rotors. The P30/P31/507 all have lighter rotors that are the same size as the normal rotors. Those lighter rotors that have aluminum hats are what MB calls their "composite braking system" which is different than their carbon ceramic brakes, which were not offered on the W204 C63

Surge

I see. And the 507 has the Black Series brakes, so that would be the case for both the BS and the 507.

Wobble64

Nope, the 507 does have the same brakes as the base 63 with performance package. That is done so it is still possible to use 18 inch rims in winter. The larger BS rotors are only compatible with 19 inch rims.

Surge

Hmm- not according to several reviews I've read.
Like this one in Winding Road:
Both the brakes and the aluminum hood with its functional vents from the C63 Black Series make their way onto the Edition 507, along with unique 19" forged alloys....

http://www.windingroad.com/articles/reviews/driven-2014-mercedes-benz-c63-amg-edition-507/

Diabolis

No, it doesn't. I too seem to recall reading that somewhere in some article or review, but it is completely wrong. The 507, P31 and P30 use the same brakes as indicated earlier. And, they are among the best of any "daily-driver-friendly" car I've ever driven - as is the hydraulic steering - for anything you may be able to throw at them, including sustained track use with soft street tires.

I don't know what the OP's definition of "good brakes" is, but seeing as he is actually questioning whether the OEM Brembos are more for looks vs. performance and moreover listed a Toyota Tundra as the best he has ever experienced, I'd say his reference scale is completely skewed. The Tundra weighs 5,500 lbs when empty and has four-piston calipers w/ 13.9" rotors, and apparently the Tundra's brakes are among the best when it comes to pick-up trucks as even when fully loaded with an extra 1,500 lbs of cargo and going down a long, steep and twisty mountain pass they perform very well. In comarison, the C63 is under 4,000 lbs and has 6-piston valipers w/14.2" front rotors. Which ones do you think are "better"? Sure, the Toyouta may have a slighly higher initial bite (which would be 100% due to the pad compound formulation and the amount of power assistance), but on a sports car, "binary" brakes are a bad thing. In terms of brake pedal modulation, feel and the complete absence of fade even during continuous abuse at a high-speed track, I'd say the P30/P31/507 brakes are on the + side of excellent.

FYI, the BS has 15.4" front rotors, which are again great - but you would only notice the difference at a race track that is very hard on the brakes and IF - AND ONLY IF - you increase the coefficient of friction between the tire and the pavement (and the brakes have to dissipate a lot more heat) by runing r-comp tires, which the BS comes with.

Diabolis

Oh, sure. I read an article once that in addition to the normal brakes the 507 C63 has three parachutes like the Space Shuttle and reverse thrusters on its two Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines.

Are you tryign to convince us or just delude yourself that you have the Black Series brakes on yoru car?

BLKROKT

^ LOLOL

Some people just don't get it...

chrisridebike8

Plenty of videos and articles also say the C63 has a dual clutch box...must be nice to have these magical brakes and transmissions.

odonnks

With different media outlets saying Black Series brakes and a DCT it's pretty easy to see how folks get bad info and I'm pretty sure the BS rotors are 15.5 in while the 507 and others are 14 11/64.

I remember my dealer's AMG guy telling me "they are the brakes from the BS".
Maybe he just meant red calipers.

But, it is pretty bad when Brembo's own web page says the C63 BS came with 14 11/64 inch (360 mm) rotors.
http://www.brembo.com/en/car/origina...ck-Series.aspx

Makes me want to go out and measure mine, it's the only way to be 100% certain.

Still love it though.

Diabolis

Er - no. It correctly identifies the BS brakes as 390mm (15.35"). Quote from the pafge you linked: Brembo equips this model with a front braking system, comprised of single block, 6 piston calipers and floating discs with aluminium bell and brake band in cast iron, 390 millimetres thick, and rear comprised of single block, 4 piston calipers and integral discs in 360 millimetre diameter cast iron.

The rest of the C63 family uses 360 mm (14.2") front rotors.

Merc63

These guys with 507s, they think they have a Black Series or something. Hello you're missing about $50,000 more dollars.

507 has the same brakes at the original C63 with performance package (p30) which is a two piece floating rotor (composite rotor). P31, has two piece rotors but they aren't floating.