2021: Brembo dominates the top 15 best braking cars

​We know virtually everything about the most sought after road cars in the world: how much they cost, their top speed and their acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph). But not many people know their braking distances, an important detail that can make all the difference as far as road safety and track performance are concerned. 

Fortunately, every time the technicians at the prestigious German magazine auto motor und sport​, one of the world’s “bibles” for car enthusiasts, decide to try out a vehicle, they also test the braking distances. This data is used to create the ranking that answers the question: "How much braking distance do the best cars need to go from a speed of 100 km/h (62.1 mph) to a standstill?" 

The tests were conducted on different days with two people on board and after heating up the brakes: nine decisive braking operations before the tenth, used for the measurement. An impressive job that led to compiling a ranking of the 15 cars that need fewer than 31.7 meters (104 feet) to come to a complete stop. 

Obviously, braking performance does not depend only on the calipers, discs, and brake master cylinders used. With the exact same braking system, the result is conditioned by the weight of the car, its aerodynamics, and, naturally, the tires used. 

Of these, no fewer than 13 are equipped with Brembo brakes - 87% of the total.

We would also like to point out that the Auto Motor Und Sport ranking includes 50 models, some of which are very similar: for example, there are no fewer than five Porsche 911s in the German magazine's Top 10, whereas two Ferrari 488s rank in the top six. To avoid repetition, we have grouped similar models together and limited the analysis to 15 models. 

Additionally, we would like to point out that, in the event of ex aequo ranking - in other words, multiple vehicles with the same braking distance - we decided to place them in order according to weight, ranking the heavier cars higher. This decision is based on the assumption that if multiple vehicles brake from 100 km/h (62 mph) to 0 over the same distance, the heavier one will have stressed its braking system more. 

After this lengthy introduction, here are the cars that ranked in the top 15. ​​​​

Created to reflect the philosophy of Horacio Pagani and Juan Manuel Fangio, 5-time Formula 1 world champion, the Zonda F combines light weight and performance, craftsmanship and technology. The engine is a 12-cylinder, 7.2 liter Mercedes AMG that unleashes 602 HP to achieve a top speed of over 345 km/h (214 mph). The body and the central cell in carbon fiber keep the curb weight down to 1,230 kg (2,711.7 lbs). 

Despite its name, taken from a hot, humid wind that blows in the Argentine Pampas, brake cooling is always under control thanks to the 380 mm (15 in) carbon-ceramic discs and 6-piston one-piece calipers on the front and 4-piston calipers on the rear, all made by Brembo. Performance is also through the roof: to go from a speed of 200 km/h (124.3 mph) to a standstill, it takes the Zonda F a scant 4.4 seconds. ​

When it went into production in 2010, only 500 LFAs were made, which sold out in just a few weeks. Even today, it is remembered for its revolutionary features including its V10 engine which, despite only having a volume of 4.8 liters, delivers 560 HP by using carbon fiber reinforced plastic on most of the body. 

Lexus wanted the stopping power to be just as effective as the engine. This explains the Brembo high performance, carbon-ceramic braking system with 390 mm (15.3 in) discs on the front and 360 mm (14 in) discs on the rear. This solution guarantees light weight, less wear, and consistent performance over time, thanks in part to the 6 and 4-piston one-piece calipers. When Scott Pruett (5-time winner of the Daytona 24 Hours) climbed aboard for the first time with a test driver, he was astonished: “He left the braking so late and I couldn’t see any option but going off the track.” ​

Before it was launched on the market, the 918 Spyder managed to complete a lap on the Nordschleife - the old 20.6 km (12.8 mi) Nürburgring - in 6 minutes 57 seconds to become the first car approved for road use to do a lap in under 7 minutes. It did this thanks to its V8 engine which, combined with two electric motors, delivers a total of 887 HP. 

With such power, no compromises can be accepted from those called on to keep it under control. After multiple tests in the laboratory and on the road, Porsche opted for 410 mm (16.1 in) carbon-ceramic discs combined with 6-piston fixed calipers on the front, and 390 mm (15.4 in) carbon-ceramic discs and 4-piston fixed calipers on the rear. Monobloc and carbon fiber, game, set, and match. ​

The X-Bow is the first car in the world to be made with a monocoque carbon fiber frame with an impressively low dry weight: just 847 kg (1,867.3 lbs). This aspect, combined with a center of gravity just 39 cm (15.4 in) high, does not demand a huge powerplant to achieve great performance. A 2-liter engine is enough to develop 420 Nm of torque. 

In order not to compromise driving pleasure, whether on the track or on winding mountain roads, the braking system must also be reactive. The choice fell to Brembo 4-piston fixed calipers for the front and 2-piston calipers for the rear, gripping ventilated discs - 305 mm (12 in) on the front and 262 mm (10.3 in) on the rear. Brake pedal response is great and the temperatures are under control.