New PCCB information (or maybe old)...

I mentioned before that salesman said the PCCB brakes came with a lifetime warranty and the general consensus was that was total BS (I'm in agreement which is why I asked in the first place). However, when I questioned him on this he held his ground, I know who I'll be running too first time I destroy a set of thsoe PCCB rotors. Furthermore he whiped out some sales booklet that had a half a page or so on the PCCB brakes. I think this was a 2002 manual of some sort but I had him copy it for me anyway so that I can use it to jog his memory about his claims when/if my rotors go bad. In it there is no mention of the 1500 mile track life or anything else like it. What it does say is a 185,000 lifespan! Sorry I don't have the scanner but I'll type in the text below. The page says "2002 Chassis and SUspension 5-8" at the top " A MAJOR ADVANCE: PORSCHE CERAMIC COMPOSITE BRAKES (PCCB) The GT2's brakes? Keep reading.... It is not a stretch to say porsche is the leader in autmotive brake development.. In fact, since 1960 Porsche has filed more than 300 patents on brake systems, so it should come as not tooo big a surprise to learn ti is leading the way on new braking developments (pun intended). One of those recent major developments is the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake, standard on the GT2. [Photo of the rotor, pads, and caliper disassembled] The heart of PCCB is a ceramic brake disc. It is based on specially processed carbon fibers, silicated in a high-vacuum process at tempreatures of 1,7000 C. More than 60 percent of the finished ceramic disc consists of silicon carbide. As with the regular production discs, teh ceramic discs are cross-drilled and ventilated, but tehy weigh 50 percent less! That reduces total vehicle weight by up to 44 lbs. As this weight is unsprung, the GT2's handling characteristics are further enhanced. ALong with a new metal composite brake pad, the ceramic brake disc has an extremely high and constant friction value which reduces braking distance. In an emergency braking situation, the PCCB supplies the maximum deceleration possible without the need to exert excessively strong brake pedal pressure. And the newly developed brake pads do not absorb water like conventional pads. The front calipers are of course monoblocs, but isntead of four pistons at each corner, the GT2 uses six pistons up front and four in back. Another PCCB benefit is longevity. The ceramic disc has an extremely high surface hardness and thus a low abrasion rate. The result is a service life that extends to 185,000 miles. The new brake pads also last longer - approximately double that of conventional pads. " There you have it.

There's definitely no such thing as a lifetime PCCB warranty. I think someone (KarlS?) pointed out from reading their warranty booklet wear items like brake pads are specifically excluded from warranty coverage. Nor is anything related to track use covered. Whether or not you get something related to the latter covered is purely up to your dealer's service department's willingness to accomodate you. As for the 1500 miles, that was _track_ miles which are _much_ more demanding than tooling around on the street. I'm the person that first posted that number and it was a direct response from Porsche Motorsports when I asked what was the expected track life for PCCB brakes. AFAIK nobody has verified this yet but assuming your sales person or the original PCCB PR material from Porsche would describe them as less than fantastic is naive. If you want proof even PCNA/PAG have backed away from the initial PCCB claims just compare the PCCB sections on the GT2 vs. GT3 pages (it's listed under the Safety section) on the Porsche web site.

To save people time the respective sections on brake longevity from the GT2 and GT3 web pages on the PCNA site: The GT2 PCCB blurb - "In an emergency stop, PCCB immediately delivers maximum stopping power to the road. Abrasion is extremely low compared with metal discs, with each PCCB disc offering a service life of approximately 300,000 km. The new composite brake pads also last around twice as long as conventional ones. What's more, the new PCCB pads do not absorb water, making for outstanding performance in the wet." The GT3 PCCB blurb: " Another key benefit of the PCCB system is the remarkable durability of both pads and discs. While the actual rate of wear on all brake components � particularly pads and discs � is entirely dependent on individual driving style and, of course, vehicle usage, like-for-like testing reveals a much longer lifespan compared with conventional systems. With its major weight savings and exceptional fade resistance, even at very high temperatures, PCCB is the ideal option for genuine competition use. It is important to note, however, that circuit racing or similar extreme driving conditions can significantly reduce the overall life expectancy of even the most durable pads and discs. It is therefore important � as with conventional steel high-performance brakes � to have all PCCB components properly checked and replaced, if necessary, after every track event." Note that the GT3 section specifically mentions significant reduction in brake life expectancy with track use.

Steve makes a bunch of good points. Also, just because they say 185K miles in a marketing brochure, that doesn't mean or imply that they will warranty the rotors for that mileage. If you want to really know what's covered and not covered under the warranty, read the warranty book. If you think the sales guy is going to help you with service issues, you have no idea how a dealership works. Sales and service are two totally separate profit centers and they don't even talk to each other, much less work together. Karl

Yep. Sales guy tells me that my GT2 is a car thats 'too fast for the road and built for the track', however the service dept told me that if the brakes are worn due to track use they are not warrantied. If your dealer says they are warrantied for track use I suggest you get it formally in writing from them (and not just a copy of a brochure). Guy