Car and Driver test - Hawk vs Stock vs EBC

[ROB105]

Hi guys,

I did some research of late in reference to brake pads and the suitability of EBC Red Stuff/Yellow Stuff/Hawk Plus for tarmac rally (for reference: Sports Trophy class in a stock-ish SE ie. 130km/h speed ceiling).
In short, I needed something that worked from cold and would stand up to fast road driving. There's lots of good information on this website with people (rightly) endorsing Hawk HP+, and also some love/hate on EBC.

As MX5s aren't widely regarded as being hard on brakes, and based on advice from a local brake shop, it was suggested EBC Red Stuff would be adequate and best from cold.
Now, here's the problem with good information; it's hard to find someone who has the same car, same ability, same application and has tried all options.
EBC rate their pads in 'cars up to xxxhorsepower' and lots of guys who 'do track days all the time' and think 'pad "x" is the best in the world' don't always give a true indication. These opinions often fail to take into account all of the three factors - car, driver, application.

Now, the purpose of this post is really to share an article I found that may well have saved me time and money - http://blog.caranddriver.com/performanc ... llowstuff/
I'd searched (alot) and for some reason hadn't come across this previously. EBC Red and Yellow are very cheap from Demon Tweeks in the UK and literally turn up within 5 working days FYI. This article suggests Hawk are cheapest which is the opposite to what I found.

So, since installing and bedding in my EBC reds..... I experienced some fade after a long downhill section at, lets say, 7.5/10. They certainly aren't rubbish, but lets just leave them in the 'fast road' category. To make sure I wasn't delusional I 'cooked' a set of Red Stuff on my Renault Clio Sport (similar weight to an MX5) at the track a month ago (stood up well for 70% of a session). If you like trips to the track, or are a little more experienced behind the wheel, you may find these a little under done.
This left me debating EBC Yellow (cheaper) or going with the Hawk HP+ (seems to be very widely loved).

Anyhow, read the article and make your own mind up. It is a test using an MX-5 and some 'scientific' method. Hawk HP+ and EBC Yellow both perform well.

[MattR]

If you are looking for cheap Hawk pads try hawkpadsdirect.com, They do front and rear packages for MX5's and you can get a couple of sets to make shipping cheaper. Only downside can be delivery times can vary from a week or so to up to six weeks depending on stock levels.