*This article was originally published on January 12, 2020, and was re-published on February 18, 2020, with new information added and revised.

In this issue, my husband wrote about Porsche's very expensive option, PCCB, and "what it feels like to actually own a GT3 with the option". Please take a look below.

In the case of an expensive sports car like a Porsche, there is a vast array of options to choose from in addition to the vehicle itself. Of course, even domestic cars have options, but nothing compared to that.There is quite a wide variety to choose from, and yet they are all very expensive.Therefore, if you make a normal selection, the cost of options alone would quickly reach the price of a domestic compact car.

What is PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes)?

One of the most expensive options is the very expensive option.That is PCCB (Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes).Depending on the model of car, that alone is an option that generally costs about 1.4 to 1.6 million yen. It is often referred to as "Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes," but it is more accurately called "Porsche Carbon Composite Brakes.ceramic composite'.

As to why it's so expensive.It is composed of a composite material of ceramic and carbon that is durable to 1000°C. It is also manufactured using a very labor-intensive process.It is.

Features include not only strong braking power, but also "Ultra-lightweight, less than half the weight of cast iron discsIt is said to be effective in improving ride comfort and handling since it is a "new" product. It is also said to have excellent durability. When it was first announced around 2000-2001, there was information that the discs would last 300,000 km, six times longer than cast iron discs, but there is no mention of durability in Porsche's recent official documents.

Selected as an option for GT3

I have always been interested in a Porsche with PCCB, but have always hesitated to choose it as an option because of its price. However, I have been interested in a Porsche with PCCB for a long time.In purchasing the GT3, we decided to make a bold choice.

The price is, by golly!1,668,000 yenThe price of the car is about the same as the price of a car. This alone is enough to buy a car.

How does PCCB feel?

First, let's say the brakes do or don't work.work wonderfullyFrankly, they work at a level that anyone can tell the difference. The normal brakes on my Boxster GTS and Panamera Turbo are made of cast iron, and they still work very well, but they work even better and more clearly.

The PCCB has a very crisp feeling right from the start. However, it is not the type of feeling that is often seen in Japanese compact cars, where the boost is extremely effective only at the beginning.It seems to work linearly with the tread force.Regular cast iron brakes feel the same way, but you have to step on them less.

For example, when driving down a winding road, even if the car takes a corner with a little vigor, a light pressure on the brake is all that is needed to decelerate the car.The sensation is that stepping on 30% is enough to slow down the car.Occasionally, a passenger will say to me, "Your brakes work so well! but even when they do, they are not stepping on the brakes half as hard as they should be.

They are never difficult to use around town. It is often said that "ceramic carbon brakes don't work unless they are warmed up," but at least as far as these brakes on my current GT3 are concerned, I don't know. I'm sure there's some difference if you're very aware of it.It is so natural that we are usually unaware of it.

By the way.I used to own a McLaren 650S with the same ceramic carbon type brakes.but that one is a little clearer and less effective when it's not warmed up.(Not that it doesn't work.)I had the impression that the same PCCBs have evolved over the years. Also, the same PCCB seems to have evolved over the years, and I think that the feeling and performance of the 996 and 997 era PCCBs are probably different from those of today's PCCBs.

How comfortable is the PCCB ride?

PCCB is said to be 50% or lighter than cast iron discs.This is said to have a positive effect on ride comfort and handling because the unsprung weight is significantly reduced.

However, it is difficult to say exactly what this is because we have not actually compared them on the same car. But if we compare a Boxster GTS with cast iron discs to a GT3I feel a lightness of foot or a sense of lightness.

By the way, the other dayA friend of mine replaced his 991.2 GT3 (cast iron brakes) with the same 991.2 GT3 (PCCB).Yes, it is. The friend said.Not even close.He said.

Specifically, the "First, the steering wheel is clearly lighter. It feels as if Power Steering Plus is attached.". And.Even in the city, you can clearly feel the shock being absorbed quickly, and the ride is comfortable.I was wondering if you could help me with my impressions of the project.

What is it like to drive a PCCB on a circuit?

The other day, I brought the GT3 to Suzuka and drove it. I would like to write a detailed review of my impressions of it again, but this time I would like to write only about the feeling of the brakes.

Compared to Fuji, Suzuka is not a circuit that requires hard braking, but it is still a circuit.Requires braking that is not easily experienced on ordinary roadsThe first is the "A" in the "A" column.

For example, the first corner at Degner in Suzuka, where you have to brake and turn while keeping the car speed as high as possible. Sometimes, when I get tired, I miss the timing of braking and almost go into the corner at overspeed, but in such cases, I try to stop by stepping on the brake, but the cast iron brakes of the Boxster GTS cannot slow down enough and the car may ride slightly on the green zone on the outside of the corner. In this case, the cast-iron brakes of the Boxster GTS cannot decelerate enough.

However, in the case of the GT3 PCCB"Oh, no, I'm a little too slow." And then I step a little more, and it slows down without a hitch.It works better than my brain can imagine, and I feel very safe.

Needless to say, fade resistance, touch feeling and judder were not affected at all by the driving of an amateur like me.

After two 30-minute runs, I checked on the PCCB and found nothing strange.I was worried because I had heard that "PCCBs are quickly worn out if they are abused on the race circuit, not to mention 300,000 km," but perhaps amateurs like me do not need to be so nervous when driving slowly.

PCCB after circuit run

By the way, I've asked the dealer about durability when I ordered.Some people run on the circuit, but I have never heard of anyone replacing the PCCB, at least I have never heard of it.He said, "I'm not sure. Well, in many cases, the PCCBs are probably sold before they reach the end of their useful life, so we can't make a judgment based on that alone, but at least it seems certain that they are not something that is replaced frequently.

Added on 2/18/2020
Later, I had the opportunity to see the car of a PCCB owner of a 991.1 GT3RS. He uses his GT3RS only for circuit driving, and only drives it on public roads to and from his home circuit. At this point, he had driven about 25,000 km. When we looked at the PCCB of the car, the surface of the PCCB was absolutely clean and there were more than enough pads left. According to the owner.I also have a GT4 with regular cast iron brakes, but I've changed brake pads and discs more times on that one, and I think the PCCB has held up much better."This was the case.

Does PCCB really not produce brake dust?

As it turns out, it doesn't come out amazingly well. level that I would say at all.It is. If the wheels get dirty, it is simply a smudge of road dust and dirt rather than brake dust.

Wheels that have not been washed for at least 1000 km

Basically, I am the type of person who washes the car myself, but I have never washed the wheels properly in the 6000 km since I bought it. Of course, they are washed by the dealer when I take the car in for inspection, etc., but I assure you that nothing gets dirty after 1,000 km or so.

If you want brakes that don't get dirty, PCCB is the way to go.Maybe PSCB (Porsche Surface Coated Brakes), which is a recent option for Cayenne and other cars, would be good.It may be.