Porsche's Brake on show at the Meissen Porcelain Exhibition

Porsche GT2 in rapid motion / Porsche

By Thami Masemola
March 13, 2008 12:36 PM
Filed Under: German, Porsche, Technology

Porsche’s ceramic brake technology is possibly a major factor into why more Porsche drivers have not been found wrapped around trees on the side of the freeway. So the company punts this technology whenever it can, which is why it is making one of these high-priced commodities available for exhibition in Saxony where the 300th anniversary of the discovery of porcelain is being held.

Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake as it is known, uses ceramic composites for its brake disks, lowering weight by over half of what metal brakes come in at. Ceramic-based brakes are of course non-corrosive, so those living near oceans need not worry too much about salty water damaging their stopping power. This highly effective composite was first introduced by Porsche in its production sports cars in 2001 when the 911 GT2 wore them with gleaming pride.

Porsche’s rear-wheel driven GT2, new model introduced in 2007, is the most powerful production 911 ever, empowered with 390kW and 685Nm of torque. In 3.7 seconds it can run from 0 – 100km/h and not stop until the clock hits 329km/h. This car has these carbon ceramic brakes as standard, while lower 911 models as well as Boxster S and Cayman S can have them retrofitted.

The exhibition is open to the public from March 14 (tomorrow) at the Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen, Saxony, Germany.

Source: Porsche

Press Release (Click to expand)

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, is making a ceramic brake available for a Special Exhibition which has been organized to mark the 300th anniversary of the discovery of porcelain in Saxony. Porsche is among the pioneers of ceramic applications in vehicle construction, and was the first manufacturer to introduce a brake and a clutch made of this material in serially-produced vehicles.

The exhibition in Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen, which will be open to the public from March 14, 2008, traces the history of the discovery and use of porcelain in Europe. It also highlights the further development of porcelain as a constituent of technical ceramics, whose importance in industry and technology continues to increase.

Porsche was one of the first automobile manufacturers to place confidence in this light but extremely resistant material. In 2001, the enterprise achieved a world first when it made use of a ceramic brake in the serial production of the 911 GT2. The brake, which was given the name “Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake” (PCCB) not only has superior braking power; the ceramic composite brake disk also weighs over 50 percent less than a conventional metal brake disk. Not only does this economize on fuel; it also reduces the unsprung mass, enabling improved response behaviour of the suspension. Ceramic disks are also non-corroding, which make them less sensitive to road salt. Due to its high abrasion resistance it also has a longer working life under normal road traffic conditions.

The most powerful version of the 911, the GT2, which was introduced in November 2007 and has a performance of 390 kW (530 PS), is equipped with a ceramic brake as standard. The brake is available as an option for the other models in the 911 series, for the Boxster S and for the Cayman S.

In the high-performance sports Carrera GT, which was built from 2003 to 2006 in the Porsche factory in Leipzig in a limited edition of 1,270 vehicles, a ceramic clutch, known as the “Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch” (PCCC) was used for the first time worldwide together with the ceramic composite brake disk. Thanks to the small outer diameter of the clutch plates, it was possible to select a very low centre of gravity for the drive train in the Carrera GT. The low mass also has positive impacts on the engine dynamics.

The special exhibition can be seen in the Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen from March 14 to June 8, 2008 and is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00.