Case summary
The Porsche 718 Cayman is highly regarded as a pure driving machine. While its factory 4-piston fixed calipers are excellent for daily driving, pushing the car on the track or during aggressive mountain runs exposes the thermal limits of the OEM iron rotors. For this build, the owner wanted to increase braking headroom and improve pedal feel without upsetting the chassis balance. The solution: upgrading the front axle to Brembo GT6 6-piston calipers paired with StopFlex 380mm carbon-ceramic rotors.
What usually becomes the limit on a Porsche 718
Unlike many entry-level sports cars, the 718 Cayman comes standard with aluminum 4-piston fixed calipers front and rear. For street use, this setup is virtually flawless. However, once you add stickier tires, engine tunes, or start running track days, the limits become apparent.
- Thermal capacity: Continuous heavy braking easily saturates the relatively small OEM iron rotors, leading to brake fade and a soft pedal.
- Brake reserve: During high-speed deceleration, the factory 4-piston calipers can lack the necessary bite and linear support toward the end of the pedal stroke.
- Wheel-view aesthetics: The standard brakes look relatively small inside modern 19-inch or 20-inch wheels. Many owners seek a larger, more track-focused visual presence that matches the car's performance potential.
Upgrade recommendation (Porsche 718-specific)
The 718 platform offers flexible upgrade paths depending on your specific use case:
- Street & Fast Road: Retain the highly capable OEM 4-piston calipers and upgrade only the rotors to StopFlex carbon-ceramic. This eliminates fade and significantly reduces unsprung weight cost-effectively.
- Track & Heavy Abuse: Step up to the Brembo GT6 caliper + 380mm CCB rotor combo (as seen in this case). This provides maximum pad surface area and superior pedal modulation for aggressive, high-speed track sessions.
What we changed and why
For this specific case, the owner opted for the more aggressive track-focused approach. This upgrade replaces the front hardware to handle the bulk of the braking load, ensuring the system remains stable under extreme conditions without ruining the factory brake bias.
- Upgraded to Brembo GT6 front calipers: The 6-piston design offers a larger pad surface area and more even pressure distribution than the factory 4-piston units, resulting in a firmer, shorter pedal stroke.
- Installed StopFlex 380mm CCB rotors: We replaced the heat-soaking iron discs. The 380mm carbon-ceramic rotors provide immense thermal headroom while significantly reducing unsprung mass, aiding suspension response.
- Matched pad compound: We used CCB-specific performance track pads to ensure proper friction matching with the StopFlex rotors.
OEM steel vs StopFlex carbon-ceramic (case view)
Objective performance and visual differences based on component architecture.
| Item | OEM 4-Piston + Steel Rotors | Brembo GT6 + StopFlex CCB Upgrade |
|---|---|---|
| Main bottleneck addressed | — | Thermal capacity and high-speed modulation |
| Repeated hard braking consistency | Prone to fade during track sessions | Highly stable; virtually no fade under heavy load |
| Rotating / unsprung mass | Standard baseline weight | Significantly lower, aiding steering response and suspension compliance |
| Wheel-view appearance | Functional, but looks small in larger wheels | Aggressive, track-ready aesthetic; completely fills a 19-inch barrel |
| Disc surface finish (visual) | Typical iron rotor character | StopFlex proprietary coating formula improves smoothness and reflectivity (visual result depends on wheel design, lighting, photo exposure) |
| Measured data status | Framework only. Measured weight / temp / repeat-braking data pending. | |
Customer Case Photos
FAQ
Will the 380mm Brembo GT6 kit fit inside my factory 19-inch wheels?
Yes. The Brembo GT6 caliper paired with a 380mm rotor is specifically engineered to maximize brake size while maintaining clearance for most standard and aftermarket 19-inch Porsche wheels.
Why not upgrade the rear brakes as well?
On a mid-engine car like the 718, the front brakes handle the vast majority of the stopping force. Upgrading the front axle to a GT6/380mm setup provides the most significant improvement in thermal capacity without negatively altering the factory-engineered brake bias.
Do carbon-ceramic rotors improve handling?
Yes. By significantly reducing unsprung mass compared to heavy iron rotors, the suspension can react faster to road imperfections, and steering response becomes noticeably sharper—crucial traits for a precision chassis like the 718.
Next step: compare fitment options and send your vehicle setup details before quoting.
