I spent the morning yesterday at the Brembo N/A headquarters in Costa Mesa, CA so they could pull my braking system to measure for a full kit and see if the old style SLK320 system would work...

The chief engineer, Mark Valskez pulled my left side front and rear braking system down to the hoses and measured completely. Turns out that their SLK320 system will not fit without re-tooling...

After my departure I spoke with Paul Curtin from Race Technologies and he sent me this e-mail

I followed-up on the feasibility of a small run Crossfire kit. I know the likelyhood of this option is relatively low, but if we can get 50% deposits for 12 kits, we can get Brembo North America to produce pretty much any kit we want. Between 6-11 kits, they will produce it, but at a significantly higher cost to us and subsequently, the consumer (~50% more I think). It typically takes about 4-6 weeks for a new kit. I just wanted to throw that out there in case you and the guys in the Crossfire club decide to take matters into your own hands.

Best Regards,
Paul Curtin
Race Technologies
Brembo Master Distributor
v - 310 306 3158 x 21
f - 310 306 3168

Anyone interested please make a call to help get the ball rolling...

 

when you say kit, you are referring to 2 piece rotors, calipers, brackets etc...right? would this be a larger size rotors? 50% more cost would be in the range of $2000-2500 for all four wheels?

 

The SRT brake upgrade would fit and would probably be 1/2 as much.Or less.

 

Still waiting on the final specs. from Race Tech, but based on my conversation with Brembo's chief engineer, while they were gutting my braking system to measure it, the kit would be their big brake system or sport system with larger drilled or slotted disks a four (4) piston caliper system (vs our single piston system) Brembo spec. pads, braketry and aircraft lines...

He refused to speculate on the costs, but based on my knowledge of their other kits, I would guess in the 3k range if it were a normal after market product... Pricey, yes... And they didn't even say they would build it for sure, unless there was a market large enough to offset the tooling costs... So, I'm not holding my breath as there aren't many Crossfires racing yet...

Now as far as Dan's comment about after market SRT6 brakes from DC for the Limited Edition, that is surely a possibility. But the specs on the SRT brakes are HO-HUM to say the least compared to Brembos racing system...

Take a look at the post I made comparing the SRT to the Limited, it includes a comparison of the braking system as well as many other things. Not to say the SRT brakes, nor the Limited brakes are bad, they work wonderfully for the street at regular street speeds...

And based on my experience in buying repair parts from Mercedes Dealers, I would assume the cost would be much higher than a Brembo System... That is, if and when DC offers them as parts for a car (SRT6) that has yet to be fully introduced into the market...

Anyway, if you're interested in being kept up to date on this... Contact Paul at Race Tech... His info is in my previous post...

 

HDDP,
I was at Michigan Intl Speedway this past weekend for 2 days of "Perfromance Driving Education". I had the brembo rotors, axxis ultimate pads and the Sport Cup tires. The only thing I can say is that the braking performance was superb. My instructor, who drove a 911 turbo, could not believe the stopping power. Constant (once every 110 secs) braking from 125 to 50 at end of straightaway and no fade. I am convinced that I prevented a rear ender when the vette in front of me missed a downshift at that corner (I could have veered to the right and killed a few cones...so there was an escape route). I am NOT racing... but hot laps as Gingerman and MIS tells me the rotors and pads are very very good. The street vettes would pull away in the straights, but I was right on their tail at the end of the braking zone and cornered far better than them. My braking zone was at least 3 -5 car lengths shorter. They used the first red line on the wall at turn 1, I used the second red line (look for the stripes on nascarTV this sunday). I think you can get 80% of the looks and performance for 1/3 the money using the rotors only...

 

I would think the SRT brakes are off another Benz already in production.And Brembos rotors are available now.And what if you needed parts later if they only make 50 sets.I don't think they would be cheap.

 

I just want to weigh-in on the subject so there's no confusion.

Defined: A Brembo Gran Turismo "kit" includes 4-piston calipers (or 8-piston in rare cases) with pads, floating rotors, brake lines and mounting brackets for one axle.

It has not been determined yet one way or the other whether the Crossfire Gran Turismo kit will be produced. The comment regarding 12 deposits basically means that if we get 12 people to put a 50% deposit on the kit, it will be made, 100%. It's unlikely for this to happen. Otherwise, we have to wait and see what the market looks like. (Now, before I get a hundred peole telling me, "YES, there's a market for the kit!" let me say that I have no direct say whether or not the kit will be made.)

Lastly, all Brembo kits use one of several common calipers (and pads) and rotors. Therefore, the replacement parts for a small-run kit would not cost any more than replacement parts for any other kit we sell.

I put in a request to Brembo NA to find out what the likely specs would be for a kit for the Crossfire. As soon as I found out, I will post the info in this space.

Thanks

 

PDC:
You'll find most Crossfire owners searching for AM product and will not jump onboard to purchase till they see it on another car or hear positive feedback on the product... Consider me "IN" as one of the twelve you will require to put the product into mfg... I hope others will consider, as I could really use the system for my weekends at Willow Springs and Button Willow Raceways...

 

Check for some SLK Brembo brake kits here used by Renntech and Kleemann:

http://www.bergwerks.com

 

I'd be interested Paul.