I had been suffering from bad brake fade on heavy braking - quite worrying when approaching a junction at speed. The report after the car’s 40,000 mile service said my brake pads were in need of replacement.  Seeing as they were the original pads I wasn’t surprised!

Out of the blue, I received a phone call from AmD to tell me they were ordering some Porsche brake kits, and were wondering if I’d like one.  After two minutes of hard selling (I’m a pushover when it comes to car parts!) I agreed.

The kit consists of two Porsche 993 Turbo calipers (I got the red ones; I think black is also available), two 322mm ventilated discs (or “rotors” if you prefer), pads, hats and mounting brackets.  Steel braided brake lines and assorted shims are also provided.

There’s not much clearance between the calipers and my Abt A24 wheels - about 1mm or so.  They do fit with the stock 17” Avus wheels, though.

I had them installed just in time for the Audi Driver track day at Castle Combe on October 14th.  I had been braking gently to bed in the discs and pads, so on the track was my first chance to see what they could do.  The morning was wet, and I found it very easy to set off the ABS.  As the track dried out I was able to give them a bit more stick.  I was impressed!  Stopping ability now seems to depend more on the grip available from the tyres rather than the power of the brakes.  I was able to brake later and harder than with the stock brakes, and continue to do so lap after lap with no fade.  Pedal feel is also excellent.  I would say more pressure is required to get the brakes really working, but this just makes it easier to control how much braking you want.

After 6 laps or so of Castle Combe the brakes smelled pretty cooked, and they were steaming nicely, but still working properly!

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