Track Related Questions...
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 36
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From: Bucks County, PA
2017 SQ5, 2012 C63 P31, 2001 Boxter S
Track Related Questions...
Hi and sorry, I am sure some of this has been talked about before, but I did a search and didn't really find the answer. I have a stock 2012 C63 P31 car and plan on doing just a couple track days this year. This car is fairly new to me and I haven't had at it the track yet. I know about the over heating issues, this is mainly about the brakes. These will be short sessions.
Is the OEM brake fluid up to the task of 20 minute sessions? (I am an experienced driver if it makes a difference)
I know a lot of people have gone down to the 1-piece rotors... Outside of them being heavier then the ones on the P31 cars, will they stand up to some track duty? Is the weight the real difference between the P31 and non P31 rotors?
Thanks for any insight!
Is the OEM brake fluid up to the task of 20 minute sessions? (I am an experienced driver if it makes a difference)
I know a lot of people have gone down to the 1-piece rotors... Outside of them being heavier then the ones on the P31 cars, will they stand up to some track duty? Is the weight the real difference between the P31 and non P31 rotors?
Thanks for any insight!
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Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 151
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C63
The main overheating problem is the engine, get the oil over 270 degrees and it'll go into limp mode. C63's weren't designed for the track. They were designed for photo shoots on the track.
As for the brakes, depends on the straights. The OEM fluid will hold up just fine on smaller road courses, assuming it is pretty fresh. But if you are taking the car to COTA, Road Atlanta, Road America, Sebring, etc, do not use the OEM brake fluid. It'll change the color of your pants.
I would guess one piece rotors would last longer than two piece, as the amount of metal is greater, the heat displacement is greater. On the flip side, you'll be getting your wheel and wheel bearing a lot hotter. The added weight from the one-piece rotor will slow down the car some. So will a passenger, stock wheels, heavier tires, leaking gaskets and a hundred other things. ;-)
If it were me, I'd put in better brake fluid, then stick with the OEM rotors and pads until they aren't cutting it. If money is tight, I think better brake pads we'll be worth more than better rotors.
As for the brakes, depends on the straights. The OEM fluid will hold up just fine on smaller road courses, assuming it is pretty fresh. But if you are taking the car to COTA, Road Atlanta, Road America, Sebring, etc, do not use the OEM brake fluid. It'll change the color of your pants.
I would guess one piece rotors would last longer than two piece, as the amount of metal is greater, the heat displacement is greater. On the flip side, you'll be getting your wheel and wheel bearing a lot hotter. The added weight from the one-piece rotor will slow down the car some. So will a passenger, stock wheels, heavier tires, leaking gaskets and a hundred other things. ;-)
If it were me, I'd put in better brake fluid, then stick with the OEM rotors and pads until they aren't cutting it. If money is tight, I think better brake pads we'll be worth more than better rotors.
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Joined: Nov 2017
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'13 C63 & AP2 S2000
OEM fluid isn't so bad, depends on the track. Pads and fluid will enjoy a cool down lap within the session if you want to go hard for 20mins but you'll most likely overheat the engine oil before anything else.
The car itself is so heavy that having a 1.5 piece rotor wont really make a difference. Brakes are pretty good from factory. Depends on your tires and the track and how hard you drive. Some tracks are hard on brakes.
The car itself is so heavy that having a 1.5 piece rotor wont really make a difference. Brakes are pretty good from factory. Depends on your tires and the track and how hard you drive. Some tracks are hard on brakes.
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Alexandria, VA
07 E63 AMG, 10 C63 AMG, 07 E63 Designo, 07 E350, 09 C300, 07 C230
If you keep in mind that this isn't a race car, it can take moderate track use, but needs a few laps to cool down between runs. Run a couple of laps then take a break, if you stick to this then you should be okay.
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Joined: May 2018
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From: Charlotte, NC
AMG GT S
I just did 5 20 minute sessions at Carolina Motorsport Park with about a 45 minute-hour cool down between each session. Temps were fine and everything else was good with the exception of the brakes starting to really heat up at the end of each session. Otherwise it was fine.
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From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
FRESH Mercedes OEM brake fluid is fine, and will have a higher boiling point than the best race brake fluid made at any price (Castrol SRF) that is six months old. If the brake fluid is fresh, the boiling point of the OEM Mercedes DOT4+ fluid is not going to be the limiting factor.
Depending on the track, how long your sessions are and how hard you are on the brakes, the OEM brake pads may start to burn up and disintegrate and the OEM rotors will likely start to develop stress cracks around the holes. The group that I go out with most of the time runs an open track and I tend to drive longer sessions (45 minutes or so - as long as a full tank of gas will last me), and the OEM rotors and pads were complete garbage after four sessions (OEM pads burnt up and disintegrating, OEM rotors full of cracks extending all the way between the holes). One-piece OEM rotors will most certainly not solve the problem as they are also cross-drilled and equally bad when it comes to heat dissipation and developing stress cracks, and more aggressive pads are only going to make things worse for the rotors. If you want to make the C63 track worthy, you'll need some aftermarket 2-piece slotted rotors and better pads - after you install the mandatory 44O oil cooling package of course, which is no longer available. If you don't have the 44O upgrade, you can completely skip upgrading the brakes. You won't get anywhere near overcooking them in the two or three laps that it will take you to overcook the engine oil.
Depending on the track, how long your sessions are and how hard you are on the brakes, the OEM brake pads may start to burn up and disintegrate and the OEM rotors will likely start to develop stress cracks around the holes. The group that I go out with most of the time runs an open track and I tend to drive longer sessions (45 minutes or so - as long as a full tank of gas will last me), and the OEM rotors and pads were complete garbage after four sessions (OEM pads burnt up and disintegrating, OEM rotors full of cracks extending all the way between the holes). One-piece OEM rotors will most certainly not solve the problem as they are also cross-drilled and equally bad when it comes to heat dissipation and developing stress cracks, and more aggressive pads are only going to make things worse for the rotors. If you want to make the C63 track worthy, you'll need some aftermarket 2-piece slotted rotors and better pads - after you install the mandatory 44O oil cooling package of course, which is no longer available. If you don't have the 44O upgrade, you can completely skip upgrading the brakes. You won't get anywhere near overcooking them in the two or three laps that it will take you to overcook the engine oil.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 36
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From: Bucks County, PA
2017 SQ5, 2012 C63 P31, 2001 Boxter S
Thanks everyone for the comments. Much appreciated. Glad to say this won't be my "track" car, might just do a day or two a year. I'll plan on doing short sessions - or as long as the car can handle before getting to hot, and will make sure I have fresh fluid.
As far as the brake fluid goes... Is it ok sticking with fresh OEM or would something like Motul be better?
As far as the brake fluid goes... Is it ok sticking with fresh OEM or would something like Motul be better?
Last edited by RLebwohl; May 23, 2018 at 08:27 AM.
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2013
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From: The Great White North
W204 C63 Coupe, W166 ML350 BlueTEC, 928GT, Taycan GTS Sport Turismo, C5 Z06 & IS300 race cars
Thanks everyone for the comments. Much appreciated. Glad to say this won't be my "track" car, might just do a day or two a year. I'll plan on doing short sessions - or as long as the car can handle before getting to hot, and will make sure I have fresh fluid.
As far as the brake fluid goes... Is it ok sticking with fresh OEM or would something like Motul be better?
As far as the brake fluid goes... Is it ok sticking with fresh OEM or would something like Motul be better?
