Our First Three Pad References, and Why we Chose Them

Tribol Braking’s first release is focussed on 3 brake pad shapes:

• Toyota GR Yaris Front Axle
• Brembo M4 Caliper Family
• AP Racing CP3215 D50 Caliper Family

These pads cover some of the most commonly track vehicles today, but rest assured, they only form a starting point for us! So why have we chose these to start off with?

The GR Yaris, first launched in 2021, has been a huge success for Toyota with almost 5000 on the road in the UK alone. With a highly tuneable, turbocharged 257bhp 3-cylinder engine, 4-wheel drive, manual gearbox, and a focus on driving enjoyment, this car has set the benchmark for the hot hatch of the 2020’s. Originally, the GR Yaris was a homologation special, designed to sell 25,000 units and meet requirements to allow Toyota Gazoo Racing to compete in the World Rally Championship. As many of you will know, homologation specials are very uncommon and are designed first as a racing platform before being turned into road cars.

While the GR Yaris has very few flaws, brake overheating is a common issue for this car, significantly limiting its track ability and risking damage to the caliper seals in particular. Tribol’s ColdForge Carbon Brake Pads are the perfect solution to this, greatly lengthening track stints while also offering significantly improved braking. This brake pad is common across the GR range, including the GR Corolla, not currently available in the UK…

The second shape on our list fits the ubiquitous Brembo M4 caliper - a 4 pot system that is very commonly found on hot hatchbacks. Brembo are renowned as the kings of OEM performance braking, from hot hatches to supercars, with their iconic bright red calipers synonymous with quality. Civic Type R’s have long used Brembo brakes, with the FL5 and FK8 being the most recent examples. Again, both of these cars offer fantastic performance in a package that can actually be enjoyed on track days.

Mitsubishi were also big fans of the Brembo 4-pot brake callipers on their performance vehicles. While the EVO X is 19 years old now it still makes a fantastic track and rally car. This is nowhere near all of the cars that use this reference, but it gives an indication of the pedigree associated with these brakes. 

Our third shape is a heritage AP Racing shape, fitting the benchmark CP 3215 D50 caliper. If Brembo rule OEM performance braking, then AP Racing surely rule the motorsport aftermarket, as well as the racing scene.

While not an OEM fit, this 4-pot caliper brake pad is still one of the most popular aftermarket brake upgrades, with many third part “Big Brake Kits” being designed around this reference in acknowledgment of its tried and tested performance.

This is just the beginning, we are committed to bring you the pads you want for the vehicles you love. To help us get there sign up to our newsletter and reach out to let us know what pad shapes you want to see next!

 

About the Author

Edward Lewis

Project Engineer, Tribol Braking

Ed is a Project Engineer at Tribol Braking, contributing to the development, prototyping, manufacturing, testing and validation of composite backing plate brake pad technology. He graduated with First Class honours in Automotive Engineering from the University of the West of England, where his dissertation focused on battery design for a hybrid Formula Student vehicle, maintaining cell temperatures through thermal optimisation and coolant management.

Edward has experience as a vehicle and powertrain engineer, working with OEMs on GT4 race cars, restomods, continuation vehicles and IVA programmes. He has also contributed to the design of high-voltage powertrains for advanced hypercar applications, utilising innovative materials.