Mercedes SLR

Rooster · 01-14-2006, 03:02 AM

Got to see a SLR the other day. It was getting a brake job done. The service tech told me it was just over 55K to do the job on this car. I asked "why so much" and he replied "everything is ceramic and has to be replaced, nothing can be cut or refinished." He also said "with one track day, you can go through a set of brakes."

Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics. Have a great new year, by the way this is my first post here. You guys are great, I've been looking around the forum, and it seems like everyones level headed. Thats nice for a change.

-rooster

Matt Holcomb · Matt Holcomb's Garage

$55K+ for one day of racing?

The world really has gone mad.

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

I think the service mechanic was pulling your leg, or you misheard the price. No way a brake job on an SLR gosts that much...

-Z.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Did you mean $5,500?

That is still a lot.

oldE · 01-14-2006, 07:59 AM

I thought one of the main points of ceramic brakes was their long life under extreme conditions, along with fade resistance and light weight)! Doesn't Porsche claim their ceramic units should last the life of the car? I understand conditions on the track are much harder on brakes than 10 times that much road travel, but there has got to be some explaination.
Also, I would hope the figure was $55 hundred, not $55 thousand!
Les

CJFusco · CJFusco's Garage

It's gotta be $5500. Not even an idiot would pay $55,000 for a regular service, even if the car does cost, what, half a mil?

Jims5543 · 01-14-2006, 05:24 PM

I am pretty sure he meant $5500.

I agree with OldE, I thought the idea behind Ceramic was for longevity otherwise whats the point?

And I was bellyaching over spending over $300 for a full set of racing pads for my RX-7.

All things being equal. I guess a $5500 brake job on a $500K car is about right.

Welcome to the board Rooster keep the pics of the exotics coming.

Tervuren · Tervuren's Garage

Don't feel bad, just two weeks ago I heard someone miss hear that the property tax on their house in a certain state was $54,000.

Porschephile944 · 01-14-2006, 09:56 PM

Sorry, I'm a little jaded and don't really consider the car anything super special. Unlimited production and rather mundane styling combine to form something I have very little interest in.

Although the 55 grand for replacing the brakes does seem high it might not be unreasonable. Doesn't Porsche charge somewhere north of 5k for single replacement PCCB rotor? I would be more in doubt of what the mechanic said about the brakes being wrecked with only track day.

Steve PH · 01-15-2006, 03:51 AM

Wrecking ceramic brakes on a track day is definitely not unheard of. Its been fairly well documented on 911 GT2's to such an extent that some owners who are keen on track days have converted their cars back to steel brake discs.

In Porches defense, they have stated that so long as you allow the brakes to warm up gently for the first lap or two then and do at least one proper cool down lap at the end of a sesion the brakes should be fine. If you don't follow these instructions the ceramics seem to over heat and crack.

The SLR is a much heavier car therefore its probably that much easier to fry the brakes.

Tervuren · Tervuren's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Porschephile944
Sorry, I'm a little jaded and don't really consider the car anything super special. Unlimited production and rather mundane styling combine to form something I have very little interest in.

Although the 55 grand for replacing the brakes does seem high it might not be unreasonable. Doesn't Porsche charge somewhere north of 5k for single replacement PCCB rotor? I would be more in doubt of what the mechanic said about the brakes being wrecked with only track day.

As it is an expensive system, it is quite possible that it realy was 55K, or 5.5K. I'm not realy going to research that one as I don't plan on owning a SLR anyways.

Rooster · 01-16-2006, 02:26 AM

OK, so I went back and asked the mechanic to verfy. a full brake job on a SLR is 55K. This was backed up by the service mngr. who showed me a reciept of sale. He said that this is the worst case scenario... pads, rotors, and some other small replacment parts, with a full flush.

I really can't believe it either. It's nutty to pay that. But I see this go on all the time down here. People do not care what it costs to look good and original. Or whatever they think that is to them.

TerryBPP · 01-16-2006, 03:38 AM

Sounds like they stuck the owner for about $50k in labor charges. I think they are blowing smoke up your butt. Don't believe everything a mechanic tells you

osidak · 01-16-2006, 07:05 AM

I read in one of the auto rags that the enzo carried a $40K price tag for a full brake job.

pwd72s · 01-16-2006, 07:08 AM

Not going to be a problem for me.

motion · 01-16-2006, 07:12 AM

The 4 carbon ceramic rotors on my Stradale are $40,000. That's no lie. However, even under track conditions they don't wear significantly, so it would be expected that they would last a very, very long time.

lendaddy · 01-16-2006, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by motion
The 4 carbon ceramic rotors on my Stradale are $40,000. That's no lie. However, even under track conditions they don't wear significantly, so it would be expected that they would last a very, very long time.

Damn! If you ever need a new set I will whittle them from pure carbon with my teeth for half that. Just keep it in mind.