BMW M4...to ceramic or not to ceramic??

[Paleridergbr]

hi all

I've been surfing the forums for a while but now I'm considering my next purchase one of the key questions I have is about brakes. I currently have and love a M135, but the brakes after even spirited road driving are truly awful.

I'm really into the new M4 ( yes I know it's only got 6 cylinders!) but my question around brakes remains. I'm reasonably tough on brakes, but the eye watering £6k+ option has made me pause ticking the box.


I'd welcome your thoughts and considerations on my choices!

Many thanks

P

[BritishRacinGrin]

What do you find so 'truly awful' about the M135i brakes?

[Paleridergbr]

BritishRacinGrin said:

What do you find so 'truly awful' about the M135i brakes?

I find they overheat and are exceedingly spongy. Stopping power just vanishes.

[julians]

That's a bit odd, I find the brakes on my m135 excellent, they're the first brakes on a road car that I've found dont fade on the track. They really are excellent compared to any other road car brakes I've tried.

[Schermerhorn]

Sicom's brakes are much better than BMW's carbon ceramic efforts.

[spunko2010]

If you tick the box you won't get back anything near it in trade-in, maybe even nothing so it's £6k up the pisser. I wouldn't bother personally, but then I've never driven a car with ceramic brakes on the road - probably for a reason. Think of what else £6,000 can buy.... a very nice holiday, more of the mortgage paid off, etc.

My only issue with non-ceramic brakes is the blue calipers. Wish BMW would let us specify black, I'd even pay for it!!

[heelntoe]

I currently have an M4 on loan whilst my e92 M3 is having done work done so can give you my thoughts. I've had the car out on a few spirited runs and the brakes haven't given way at all. In fact these 6 pots are one of the big plusses about the M4 car.

I previously had a track prepped Z4MC which weighted around 1,300kg and had APs all round, The M4 brakes in my opinion are pretty much as good that. Getting ceramics may improve on track but if it were my money and knowing what I know, I wouldn't add this option. Have you checked how much a replacement set of discs costs when the time comes, assuming you intent to keep the car a while.

[BritishRacinGrin]

Hate to be the smart arse who says this but by the sounds of things we must place a question mark over the OP's driving technique and the maintenance of the OP's car.

[Schermerhorn]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Hate to be the smart arse who says this but by the sounds of things we must place a question mark over the OP's driving technique and the maintenance of the OP's car.

The M135i is a car designed to be taken by the scruff of the neck and chucked about. The weak point - as with all BMW M cars - is the brakes.

I remember my M6 having brand new discs and pads fitted all around last year. From a heavy stop they were grumbling like hell days into my ownership. Luckily they don't do that any more but for something costing £XXXX you would expect better. BMW's Ceramic efforts are not a huge improvement either. There are better after market options out there.

http://www.carbonceramicbrake.com/bmw.html

[Paleridergbr]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Hate to be the smart arse who says this but by the sounds of things we must place a question mark over the OP's driving technique and the maintenance of the OP's car.

Yep....you sound like a smart arse!! ☺️

The car is just over 12 months months old and in perfect maintained condition. Whilst you may be an expert driver, I'm not, but that shouldn't be a factor in brake fade due to heat, as it highlights the weak point on this car or other BMWs. Having said that I've been driving a new M4 for the last few days and the standard brakes on this are superb with no fade whatsoever on the road. Kinda answered my own question.

[W8PMC]

I find this odd as the standard brakes on my F10 M5 are exceptional & BY FAR the best stock brakes i've ever had. They're 400mm front & rear so a decent sized surface even & i've not experienced any fade on track, let alone on road. I did 2 days at Spa Francorchamps after a day at Nordschleife (only did 3 laps round Nordschleife though) i've also done Anglesey & covered over 7K road miles with a few of those being rather quick across Europe & my fronts have 5k left in them, whilst oddly enough the rears only have 4k left in them. That said, they're still performing perfectly with no fade & no speaks.

[Patrick Bateman]

I do have to wonder about the driving style if standard brakes aren't up to it on the road.

[BritishRacinGrin]

Paleridergbr said:

BritishRacinGrin said:

Hate to be the smart arse who says this but by the sounds of things we must place a question mark over the OP's driving technique and the maintenance of the OP's car.

Yep....you sound like a smart arse!! ??

The car is just over 12 months months old and in perfect maintained condition. Whilst you may be an expert driver, I'm not, but that shouldn't be a factor in brake fade due to heat, as it highlights the weak point on this car or other BMWs. Having said that I've been driving a new M4 for the last few days and the standard brakes on this are superb with no fade whatsoever on the road. Kinda answered my own question.

I'm sorry that it's not what you wanted to hear but judging by the terminology you're using you don't understand the problem. If the pedal is going spongy it isn't fade but it's the brake fluid overheating. Throwing an obscene amount of money at it might 'solve' it but equally a change of brake fluid or a change of driving style might, too.

Edited by BritishRacinGrin on Tuesday 11th November 01:36

[cerb4.5lee]

BMW just don't do very good brakes imo and I never rated them in my old E92 M3/Z4M and we currently have a 330i/640d and the brakes just aren't up to the task in either of those so if I had the money and BMW were offering Ceramics I would certainly go for them for sure.

[Pferdestarke]

I've had fairly bad fade with my F30 320d stock brakes with short spirited drives around the lanes. They certainly faded far quicker than I'd like, which sounds similar to what the OP is saying, although you wouldn't expect a performance-orientated model to suffer such woes.

[carlwrighty]

Bmw ceramics are immense!! I was really surprised! I also have 997 GT2 (Porsche brakes generally recognised as the best in the business) and the ceramics on my f10 feel just as good. Don't discount them until you've tried em....

[carlwrighty]

Bmw ceramics are immense!! I was really surprised! I also have 997 GT2 (Porsche brakes generally recognised as the best in the business) and the ceramics on my f10 feel just as good. Don't discount them until you've tried em....

[rich83]

Good pads and good fluid. Can't imagine they would fade on you then