I have a choice to make about brakes.

So I have decided to do some upgraded brakes, this will be the first time I actually bother buying slotted and 2 piece rotors. I have always gone the route of stock rotors with better pads. Sometimes even switching rotors and pads in the front when I get to the track, and it has worked really well for me. But this time I figured what the hell I am going to go all out, and if not a big brake kit up front at least really nice 2 piece rotors, some stainless lines (which is a necessity), better pads (an intermediate pad in this case), and high performance fluid.

OPTION 1
I have the option of getting my hands on an ECS Stage 4 big brake kit. This consists of 6 piston monobloc Brembo manufactured Porsche Cayenne calipers, Special Stainless lines, Hawk HPS pads, and floating 2 piece rotors. The kit that I am potentially going to buy has red calipers (not as cool as Black ones if you ask me), and crossdrilled+slotted rotors (which is lame IMO, the slotted's look better to me). The retail on the kit is $1900+Shipping (which is probably $75 or so). I am able to buy these for $1080 shipped, but there is some question as to just exactly what condition they are in. I am awaiting pictures before I pull the trigger and sent the guy his money. Here is what the kits look like; linkypoo

Now if I go with these brakes I am also going to buy matching ECS rear floating rotors, which are about the most expensive rear brake disk you can buy for a B7 S4. They also cost $360 to get re-ringed, which doesn't include the shipping costs to send ECS your hat, and then to have ECS ship you back the entire rotor. You NEED to send it to them, as they will not allow you to replace it yourself (which makes sense given their design of the product). This is what they look like; das link

Here is a link to their definition of their True Float Technology. Which to me looks very cool as these are true floating rotors and not simply 2 piece rotors.

Now there is a concern with this setup. These were meant to be mounted on the FRONT of a caliper, and not the back. The pistons on these go from small to large in the rotation of the wheel, but ONLY when mounted on a Porsche, not when mounted on an Audi. Now engineers (such as my buddy PZ) tell you that it is important to have the smallest piston hit the pad first for proper and even pad wear, heat dissipation, and for maximum leverage against the rotor. These will be going largest to smallest, which is an engineering no-no. So the big question is;

Is this a significant problem, or a minor one? i.e. Will the brakes get 20% hotter, will the pistons be clamping with a 50%-30%-20% pressure on pistons 1-2-3 instead of 33%-33%-33%, will the pads wear unevenly, will they brake better or worse than a stock with the same model brake pad? If the answer is yes, it will be worse wearing, more heat producing, and will stop less then I had better stay away, but if the answer is the opposite I am pretty sure its a GREAT deal.

Option 1 Plusses;

• Great deal ($1080 vs. $1980)
• Looks pretty cool (HUGE Porsche brakes seldom look anything but cool!)
• Rotors are about the nicest ones you can buy
• Already comes with HPS pads (I hope, he knows they are Hawk's, but thats it)
  

Option 1 Minuses;

• Potentially in bad condition (I would be at least the 4th owner)
• I am not a big fan of the RED, or the cross drillled/slotted rotors.
• If I do this I feel like I NEED to buy the ECS rears to match as opposed to the JHMs (ECS happen to be the best quality 2 piece rotor there is)
• No idea if pad wear / heat will be better or worse, and if they will stop better or worse

OPTION 2
This is what I would call a Stage 2 upgrade. Stage 1 would be pads/lines/fluid with stock rotors. Stage 1.5 would be to have the calipers powdercoated, and this is the replacement of LINES, ROTORS, PADS, FLUID, and then the powdercoating of the calipers.

This is the cheapest proposition of all 3, but still higher end than anything I have done on any past cars. With this option I would be having all 4 calipers powder coated (or maybe just painted, and, probably silver), put 2 piece non-floating rotors on, replace the pads with the same Hawk HPS compound I would be using if I went with the porsche BBK option, add some ECS stainless lines, and then a fluid replacement.

JHM makes a beautiful 2 piece rotor that while not being floating is still an aluminum hat with a steel machined ring. They said that the re-ringing of the fronts would be about $300 or the rears $250. Which is substantially less than the ECS offering. I still really like the way these look, and MUST be better than running the stock rotors that are all 1 piece, all steel, and weigh 10 pounds more than these in the front.

Its not like the stock front calipers are small, far from it, they are just big, heavy, cast, 1 piston numbers, and if I had my way I would run the stock RS4 brakes which are 8 piston with floating 2 piece rotors stock! They are badass, and I simply can not find anyplace in the states that sells them.

Option 2 Plusses;

• Least expensive option, but still damn nice. Lines are cheaper, rotor rings are cheaper.
  
• Looks amazing, silver powder coated calipers with these cross drilled rotors would look GREAT!
• A known commodity, no question of whether or not the calipers brake well, wear well, overheat, etc.
  
• A good solid setup, no trickery, very stock, only parts upgraded are the non mechanical ones. Warranty would be affected the least.
• Can easilly sell the car with these parts on it and not worry about the "modded factor".

Option 2 Minuses;

• Not as trick as a 6 piston setup.
• Doesnt look as cool as huge monobloc 6 piston Porsche/Audi brakes.
• Potentialy doesnt stop as well as the 6 piston Porsche setup.
• Probably stops just about the same as a stock setup with HPS pads. Rotors for looks and heat dissipation on track, and stainless lines for pedal feel.
  

OPTION 3

Option 3 is very similar to option 1, the main difference being I might be able to get my hands on some Q7 Calipers for maybe $550 or $650. These are (supposedly) identical to the Cayenne calipers but are in a satin grey finish, and dont say Porsche all over them and advertise with huge shiny redness. These supposedly only have 100 miles on them (i.e. were on a Q7 for 100 miles before it received a big brake upgrade kit). With this kit I would be buying all the parts new (pads, rotors, lines) and could pick the style rotor I really like. You can see that it still costs less than even the cheapest normal big brake kit (i.e. Stoptech), which only covers the fronts!

Option 3 Plusses;

• I get actual AUDI calipers that are stealthy and cooler than the porsche
• I can buy JUST the slotted rotors for both front and rear
• All parts except calipers are brand new
  

Option 3 Minuses;

• Almost $2500 on brakes!
  
• If I do this I feel like I NEED to buy the ECS rears to match as opposed to the JHMs (ECS happen to be the best quality 2 piece rotor there is)
• No idea if pad wear / heat will be better or worse, and if they will stop better or worse