V12 Vantage carbon ceramics have just saved my bacon!!!!
Discussion
There's been a lot of yap on these pages about how expensive the carbon ceramics on the V12V and DBS are to maintain. I was horrified when I read about the bills that could be heading my way. However.....
I've just returned from a trip to western France in the V12V. On the way down, on a normal "D" road, I was following a lorry for quite a while. This was tedious and he seemed to be dropping stone chippings that wouldn't have been doing the paintwork any favours. As we crossed a roundabout I could see a clear, straight road ahead with nothing coming the other way for a considerable distance. "Game on" thinks I. I pulled out and nailed it. These things really accelerate when you go for it don't they? Then, just as I passed the target lorry, doing *!*kph, another lorry that had been parked up further down the road decided to pick that particular moment to pull into the road. F**K!!! By this time there was now another vehicle coming the other way in such a position that clearing this new lorry in time was dubious at best. It's amazing how fast your decision making processes can be at this sort of moment but in that split second I decided that a slow speed impact with the lorry was preferable to a high speed impact with the car coming the other way. Whilst all this was happening my G/F had opened her eyes, woken by the acceleration, clocked the developing situation, then shut her eyes again and braced for impact...her words not mine! I stood on the brakes and we just stopped!!!! Only a few metres to spare but a miss is as good as a mile! I couldn't believe it! I would have assumed that I'd been stupid getting into this position in the first place but despite driving a flash car with UK plates on it neither lorry driver flashed or hooted me once. I can only assume that neither of them felt I was at fault. To say my heart rate was high for quite a while afterwards is understatement of the decade.
Now the point I'm making is this. Had I been in any other car I own, especially the Ferrari F355 (the other choice for the trip), which all have lesser brakes, we'd have had our holiday cut short at best or possibly something considerably worse. It's this thought that gives me palpitations every time I remember this event. I am now in awe of the brakes on the V12V and consider any servicing cost money well spent.
Kevin
I've just returned from a trip to western France in the V12V. On the way down, on a normal "D" road, I was following a lorry for quite a while. This was tedious and he seemed to be dropping stone chippings that wouldn't have been doing the paintwork any favours. As we crossed a roundabout I could see a clear, straight road ahead with nothing coming the other way for a considerable distance. "Game on" thinks I. I pulled out and nailed it. These things really accelerate when you go for it don't they? Then, just as I passed the target lorry, doing *!*kph, another lorry that had been parked up further down the road decided to pick that particular moment to pull into the road. F**K!!! By this time there was now another vehicle coming the other way in such a position that clearing this new lorry in time was dubious at best. It's amazing how fast your decision making processes can be at this sort of moment but in that split second I decided that a slow speed impact with the lorry was preferable to a high speed impact with the car coming the other way. Whilst all this was happening my G/F had opened her eyes, woken by the acceleration, clocked the developing situation, then shut her eyes again and braced for impact...her words not mine! I stood on the brakes and we just stopped!!!! Only a few metres to spare but a miss is as good as a mile! I couldn't believe it! I would have assumed that I'd been stupid getting into this position in the first place but despite driving a flash car with UK plates on it neither lorry driver flashed or hooted me once. I can only assume that neither of them felt I was at fault. To say my heart rate was high for quite a while afterwards is understatement of the decade.
Now the point I'm making is this. Had I been in any other car I own, especially the Ferrari F355 (the other choice for the trip), which all have lesser brakes, we'd have had our holiday cut short at best or possibly something considerably worse. It's this thought that gives me palpitations every time I remember this event. I am now in awe of the brakes on the V12V and consider any servicing cost money well spent.
Kevin
Edited by Kevin Secker on Sunday 13th March 13:41
Two months ago I had good reason to thank the (standard) brakes on my DB9. Travelling north from Chichester on the A285 I came round a blind bend at 55-60 mph to be confronted by a new Rolls Royce Phantom my side of the road overtaking a convoy of three other new rollers. I hit the brakes hard and the DB9 stopped in an unbelievably short distance allowing just enough space for overtaking Phantom to squeeze through the ever decreasing gap between the lead Roller and my car. The works test driver gave a thumbs up and mouthed his thanks as he flashed by within inches of the offside headlight. I didn't have the heart to complain to the RR factory, but from now on I will be ultra alert when driving in that neck of the woods.
Kevin, good to hear that you escaped this bad situation 
Just wanted to add: Its very likely, that you would have achieved the same stoppng power with conventional steel brakes, because - given correct rotor size - the limiting factor in terms of raw braking power are the tires. Carbon Ceramics are less prone to fading and will last much longer but in general they don't give you a shorter braking distance.
Just wanted to add: Its very likely, that you would have achieved the same stoppng power with conventional steel brakes, because - given correct rotor size - the limiting factor in terms of raw braking power are the tires. Carbon Ceramics are less prone to fading and will last much longer but in general they don't give you a shorter braking distance.
MartinV12 said:
Kevin, good to hear that you escaped this bad situation
Just wanted to add: Its very likely, that you would have achieved the same stoppng power with conventional steel brakes, because - given correct rotor size - the limiting factor in terms of raw braking power are the tires. Carbon Ceramics are less prone to fading and will last much longer but in general they don't give you a shorter braking distance.
The physics is one thing, but I think the reason that people can be very positive about CCM brakes is that the stopping is more violent and less progressive. So even if the retardation over the braking period is the same (ie you go from 100mph to 0mph in 4 seconds in both) , the CCM brakes seem to bite faster. Just a personal view based on my own experiences rather than many hours on a test track. I'd love to hear from anyone more technical about this....Just wanted to add: Its very likely, that you would have achieved the same stoppng power with conventional steel brakes, because - given correct rotor size - the limiting factor in terms of raw braking power are the tires. Carbon Ceramics are less prone to fading and will last much longer but in general they don't give you a shorter braking distance.
I believe what you say is correct in most carbon brake set-ups with the lightest brush of the middle pedal requiring passengers heads to be extracted from the glovebox!!!! Actually that applies to most Audi braking systems too!
The V12V brakes are just awesome. Progressive but staggeringly powerful. Love 'em!!!
The V12V brakes are just awesome. Progressive but staggeringly powerful. Love 'em!!!
Unless you haven't got the strength in your right leg to activate the ABS system with conventional brakes, ceramic rotors wouldn't make any difference for a single event as you describe. As MartinV12 says, the limiting factor for the braking distance is the grip between road and tyres.
yup...sticky tyres are what really matters, and those are standard on the V12
put a V12 on the same tyres as a V8 and braking will be pretty much the same...well maybe they will be easier to lock up with less effort
on track when those semi slick track tyres are up to temp, then you will really get to see what the carbon brakes can do, lap after lap
put a V12 on the same tyres as a V8 and braking will be pretty much the same...well maybe they will be easier to lock up with less effort
on track when those semi slick track tyres are up to temp, then you will really get to see what the carbon brakes can do, lap after lap
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff