PCCB - Anyone had them a while yet?

After looking for 5 months, my dealer has finally found a car with most of the spec I am looking for - with one expensive extra - PCCB! Most of my driving will be on the road, but suspect that when budget allows, some track work will become a possibility if not compulsory. It is unlikely to become a permanent calendar fixture however. I have done some extensive search and read on these on this forum and others, but most opinions seem to be about the Gen 1 version. Does anyone have the Gen 2 PCCB, and if so, what have been your experiences so far, and in what driving conditions?

Have you read all of the threads shown below in the "similar threads" list? Do so, if you haven't - it's still very early yet to see how these are going to do with street driving - they're probably going to be great, but I've heard the Cup Series drivers are still chewing through them very quickly. My advice would be not to get them if you're going to put the car on the track - if you happen to be hard on your brakes anyway and track the car, you're looking at a huge bill if you need new ones (like $6k per wheel ) and they won't be covered under warranty - believe it or not, at $8k for the option, it's actually a good deal compared to what it costs to replace them. No brake rotors are covered under warranty unless it can be proven they are defective - otherwise Porsche considers them wear-and-tear items, just like the pads. brad

DAMN are you serious? thats like the enzo brakes!

Thanks beez - I have read all those topics and then some on these forums. I was just wondering if anyone had actually bought them and used them in anger since most of those posts were made I sadly won't have much of a choice about getting them - the rest of the car is perfect, so would have to turn down the whole car if I don't want the PCCB. Another question I guess is - how expensive is it to change back to the steel brakes if the PCCB should wear out? I will ask my dealer this too, but thought it worth dropping the question here for all you ever so knowledgeable people to answer too

gison, Is this a used cayman with PCCB's already or a new car you are spec'ing? If it is a used car with PCCB I may have a solution for you.

I checked with 3 different Porsche dealer mechanics and 2 independent mechanics who work on Porsche (cup cars) constantly and as far as I was told, no issues with gen2 PCCB got reported so far. Did anyone else hear different? I am (so far) extremely happy with them.

30k miles and 1/2 dozen track days. It's all good so far...

Thanks for your responses guys - much appreciated - it's always useful to get the input from people who have actually used and lived with them How is the wear rate so far - if there is any kind of comparison to the steel brakes? Also - chrismillion - have you had to replace pads or anything at all so far ? PS - K-Man S - PM sent to you

I've read lots about them. I bit the bullet and got them. Only 1,700 miles so far, so I cannot meaningfully comment on longevity. The feel of the brakes is just amazing, though. First track day, errr... DE, is in a couple of weeks. I REALLY hope all goes well. If they break and really do cost $6K each, it'll be steel replacements until the price comes down. I have read that Porsche has taken them off the option list due to too much demand that has exceeded their supply. If that's the case, it would seem to me that they are indeed as good as "they" say and I would expect the price to come down as the volume goes up. Also, the PDE cars, the S ones at least, use them. So how bad could they be? (Of course, they may be replacing them in the back room and not telling anyone!) More later... - Mark

Mark, Do you happen to know if the diameter on the PCCB rotors on your Cayman is the same as on a 911? Are they identical units or are the Cayman's a different size?

K, Caymen and Caymen cabs (rare though they may be ), when equipped with PCCBs have rotor diameters of 350 mm. The fronts are 34 mm thick, rears are 28 mm. As a note, printed on them is a notation that they are to be replaced at a thickness of 33.7 mm and 27.7 mm respectively. I guess they don't allow for much wear, eh? Back to your question, I think I recall that all 911s also have 350 mm diameter rotors F & R except the GT3 which has 380 mm ones in the front, 350 mm in the rear. The Carrera GT is 380 front and rear. I'm pretty sure this is correct.

I noticed recently that the PCCB calipers are bigger on Carreras than on Caymans. Both are 6 piston and look the same, just bigger on Carrera. So I would bet the rotors are different too....

After reading the above post more carfully, the Carrera I was looking at was a GT3...

If they failed you could just buy a BBK!

Has anyone got a quote lately on PCCB's as an after sale option? I keep hearing $6K per rotor but then I see tuners (was it Techart? Strosek?) offering 3.8L X51 upgrades with suspension, wheels, tires, interior upgrades, etc AND PCCB's all for about $50K. PCCB alone can't be half of the cost......? Am I missing something? It would be the first time!

I saw them advertised somewhere for $14k and that was calipers included. So it's like if you damage a wheel, you would never buy a new wheel from the dealer when you could get it somewhere else for 1/4 the cost.

3.8 liter GTR - based on the Porsche Cayman platform Here's what I was talking about in a previous post, from Farnbacher-Loles. If the conversion costs $56K with labour, the PCCB's have to be in the $10-15K range...... Limited Edition GTR Features: 400-HP 3.8 liter X-51 Engine REVO Software Cold Air Intake Custom Headers and Free-Flow Exhaust Third Radiator for Additional Cooling Hi-Performance Clutch Limited Slip Differential Short Shifter CROSS 15-way Adjustable Coilover Suspension Upgraded Front and Rear Sway Bars Porsche Ceramic Brakes (PCCB) Fikse Lightweight Wheels 245/35-19 (f) and 285/30-19 (r) Yokohama ADVAN Sport Tires 997 Euro Cup Aero Front with Splitter Carbon Fiber Height-Adjustable Rear Spoiler Carbon Fiber Side Intakes Carbon Fiber Side Mirror Housings - plus optional interior upgrades $118,500 Complete $56,450 Conversion only