The new Surface Coated Brake system by Porsche relies on white calipers. These mirror-finish tungsten carbide-coated rotors can significantly reduce the brake dust. Porsche’s surface coated brake system offers some more benefits as well which makes sense when you consider that it will cost you $3,490 on your Cayenne S while being the stock option on the Cayenne Turbo.
The brake system that relies on iron rotors will undergo brake fade as rotors heat up during hard driving or driving on track if you are driving a Cayenne. Porsche carried out some brutal testing that featured high-speed stops that ended up heating the iron rotors and the surface coated brake system to temperatures of 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. A total of thirteen stops were executed, and the change in pedal force that was required for hauling down the vehicle was assessed.
Both systems need a firmer squeeze of the pedal, but the Surface Coated Brake system only experienced half of the fade as opposed to the iron rotor brake system. On the Vickers hardness test, iron has a value of 30-80 HV whereas the Tungsten carbide has a value of more than 1,000 HV, thus explaining why it is a popular choice for the drill bits. The lack of fade for the surface coated brake system can be explained by the distinctive interplay between the specially formulated pads and the glass-smooth rotors.
The rotors are quite smooth, and this means that the pads apply much more surface area to the rotor as opposed to an iron disc. When you are talking about high braking pressure; the pads are capable of digging into the rotor surface similar to a microscopic hook-and-loop fastener thus causing the abrading of the rotor while providing immense stopping power, and some dust. Depending on how you drive; the surface coated brake system generates about 90% less brake dust while allowing your rotors to last for 30% longer. The option, despite being costly; is still 1/3rd the cost of the carbon-ceramic setup. You will be getting 10-piston front calipers and 4-piston rears and a promise of no rust.
As of right now, PSCB is only available on the Cayenne. However, based on how the system is received; you might be seeing them in other cars as well!
