opinion on the HP PLUS -description: autocross/driving school grade. aggressive bite!! if not HAWK PADS then which company do you recommend?

 

hawk are very good..Those are the ones I am going to get in the next week or so with my powerslot rotors

 

Elvis,

Saw your PM so I though I'd go ahead and post here.

I have used a number of Hawk pads on my BMW. Everything from HPS to HP Plus to HT-10 (Race Pads). Also have used Performance Friction.

I found the best success on the street with the HPS. Good initial bite, quiet and low dust. I found that the HP Plus made a lot of noise unless they were pretty hot. The kinda of heat you don't normally get around town. The HP Plus, in my opinion, tries to be a street and a track pad. This really doesn't work. Use one pad for street, like the HPS, and then use the HT-10 for track duty (I do road course stuff). Swapping the pads out is not that hard.

Having said all that, I used the Porterfield R4S at my last track event since Hawks weren't available. I put them on for few days prior to the event. I like them around town. Once again though, they are not a track pad and I absolutely COOKED them at the track. There is nothing left. I think my front rotors are even toast. My Hawk HT-10 and Powerslot rotors should be here tomorrow. I'll use those for the track event next month and probably pick up a set of HPS pads for the street.

One guy told me, brake pads are like underwear, once you get used to a certain brand, you really don't like to change. That's how I feel about the HT-10s on the track and on the HPS on the street. You just get used to what to expect when you push the brake pedal.

Oh and by the way...at the end of the day, this car is absolutely fabulous with one glaring exception. The brakes really don't match its performance capability. To really get this car and it's 3400 lbs to stop will require a big brake kit.

Sorry for the long winded answer....

Bill

 

I emailed PF about their O1 and 03 race compounds. Got a reply saying that they will be available in the near future. Either one of those pads will be enough for a near stock GT on a road course. I have heard that Hawks are decent, but not as good as PF. Never tried them before, so I can't compare.