more specific info regarding the brakes :
Bugatti Veyron 16.4 - The best brakes in automotive engineering
- Unique cooling system for extremely fade-resistant carbon-ceramic brake system
- Airbrake applied above 200 km/h uses the aerodynamics of the rear wing
The Bugatti Veyron, one of the fastest cars of all time, will be making its debut this year. A top speed of over 400 km/h influences the design of every engine and running gear component. This maximum speed is the standard that each and every solution has to achieve. For example: the carbon-ceramic brake system, many components of which are unique. Certain components were developed in cooperation with development partners from the aviation and space industries. Experiencing the brake system in action is just as enjoyable as experiencing the acceleration of the Bugatti. The addition of the airbrake, an aerodynamic rear-wing braking function which is deployed above speeds of 200 km/h, gives the vehicle deceleration values which cannot be experienced in any other car in series production.
Brake pressure of up to 180 bar
The brake forces are distributed with a maximum of sixty percent on the front axle and forty percent on the rear axle. The system is capable of a brake pressure of 180 bar. Braking to the ABS control range requires 50 to 70 bar in a Bugatti Veyron with standard tyres - a difference of over 100 bar from the top performance of 180 bar, an indication of the high braking potential.
Carbon discs, titanium brake pistons
The carbon disc brakes have a diameter of 400 millimetres in the front (rear: 380 millimetres). The eight-piston monobloc brake caliper weighs only 5.7 kilograms, is reinforced with a centre fin and has four brake pads. Its pistons are made of titanium and are fitted with a stainless steel crown and ceramic heat shield. The pad friction area totals "4 x 80 cm2". The grooves in the discs for air cooling are not straight but have a turbine-shaped structure so that they are able to draw in cooling air while the vehicle is in motion.
From 310 km/h to 80 km/h and back repeatedly without fading! In addition, the front disc brakes, which are have higher demands placed on them, are maintained at a constant ideal temperature even under maximum loading by a completely new type of dynamic pressure cooling. An example from the prototype trials: during a brake fade test with 1.0 g* repeated braking from 310 km/h to 80 km/h (acceleration from 80 km/h to 310 km/h + subsequent braking in only 22 seconds per cycle in total!), a thermal equilibrium was achieved after braking for the twentieth time - even then, the brake fluid temperature stayed below the defined 220°C level and the top surface of the discs below a 1 000°C limit.
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It's not about how fast you go, it's about how you go fast. - Enzo Ferrari
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