No, it definitely wasn't just for looks. The old rotors I had on there were warped pretty badly and had already been turned before, so I felt it was a better (and safer) idea to just replace them altogether and to put on the ceramic pads to reduce the hated brake dust. It is definitely nice to have nice, smooth braking again for once. It's hard to make a good comparison in overall braking ability considering the state my old rotors were in, but they do seem just as good as any new brakes I've ever had.

 

I have them, and I have ran the dog crap out of mine...I like them...mine are just drilled, no slots....