Add-ons to any car can be expensive. It is being said that ceramic brakes are one of the most costly add-ons that people are purchasing for their cars today. For a car such as Ferraris, a good set of ceramic brakes can weigh in at $16, 808.

This expense is proving to be well worth it to all of those people spending time out on the racetrack or similar competitive motoring sports. They are the ones noticing the huge benefits and increase in performance. Ferraris have upgraded from iron discs that were good, but ceramic has surpassed them in performance.

A car savvy person will be able to spot ceramic brakes right away - instead of a brilliant shine, they will see discs that look like stone. These would be the look of the latest trend in ceramic brakes.

It is said that Porsche was the first automaker that installed ceramic brakes. This was done to reduce the weight of a specific sports model car. Porsche now offers ceramic brakes as an option on many of their models.

Ceramic brakes have spread out to the world of the Audi and Bentley as well. These high quality, high performance car companies realize the quality of ceramic brakes.

Many people don’t understand replacing metal discs. Ceramic is a material that provides outstanding strength and hardness. It is because of this that the life of these brakes can be significantly extended. They are able to endure heat that would melt a standard iron brake. This is especially important in racing cars.

Ceramic brakes are made for strength by adding strands of carbon fiber. It is said that Mitsubishi developed this process. The strands of carbon resist stretching.

During production, carbon fibers are hand woven to match the shape of the disc. The pre form is covered with a liquid polymer containing silicon and carbon. Heat is then used to convert polymer into silicon carbide. This is an extremely hard ceramic. The finished surface will have a stone like look.

Today, ceramic brakes are of interest due to their performance advantage. They have the ability to maintain their stopping power even when extremely hot. Ceramic discs last approximately four times longer than iron discs. Ceramic brakes weigh much less than iron discs. This can help with speed and fuel economy. With the rising cost of fuel, this can be an advantage to anyone.

Much of our driving consists of stop and goes. It takes a lot more fuel to get a heavier car going. Ceramic brakes help to reduce weight and fuel costs. This helps automakers meet weight and fuel standards.

These brakes may be pricey but the advantages and quality will far surpass the price tag. You will have quality like never before with ceramic brakes. You will have less maintenance and an overall longer life. You will notice that your vehicle runs at a much higher level while you save on fuel costs. Don’t look at the initial price tag, before considering what you will save in the future.