2011 Ford Mustang GT 5.0: Has Brembos, SINGLE Piston Sliding Rear Calipers

the worst part about this is that some jackass is going to say to himself: "hey! they defrauded me; I have to sue them!"

a stupid oversight obviously; but who cares.

Ok, I'm a layman. Explain to me why it really matters whether or not rear brakes need to be dual rather than single piston calipers to begin with. Aren't most braking loads handled by the front brakes?

The answer I come up with on my own is: a) It is a track package, and it has to do with the balance of the braking force on all four wheels and b) It brakes harder with two pistons.

I'd like someone else who has more knowledge than me with these systems to either confirm or correct my best-guess.

Specifications are subject to change at any time without notification...

What would you like Ford to do, send a letter of apology and a hug to the "pissed off Mustang owners" who thought they were getting two pistons apiece out back? Please.

Amusing? Yes. Infuriating? Not by a long shot. On the other hand, I would be extremely pissed off if my $35,000 vehicle had to be towed to the dealer with 600 miles on the odometer.

Well at least its a step up from drum brakes.

Wow, quite a mistake by Ford, but Ford's made mistakes before when they rated the early 2000's Cobra's with 305 hp when they really made much less power.

Now on a side note:

"HOLY-FRICKIN-OVERSPRAY-BATMAN"

What's up with the paint overspray on the suspension and frame of the car?

I'm impressed with how forgiving many of you are. Some people paid an extra $1700 for something that they didn't fully get and you don't think they deserve compensation? If that's the case, I have a bridge to sell YOU.
How do we know that these are really Brembo brakes at all, or that the 19 inch wheels aren't 18.5 inches? It may not be grossly negligent, but so far this is not making Ford look like a straight dealing company. I want to believe good things about this car, but with the faulty fuel pump and now with this slightly overexagerated (or overpriced) braking package, it looks like the same old Ford. What ever happened to the notion "You get what you paid for"? I guess in this case, you don't .
If there is one car in the Ford line-up I expect them to get right, it has to be the Mustang. I hope this test gets better than it sounds good and its fast, because the things you expect in a $38k vehicle seem to be quite lacking.

I'm sure you guys would not be as forgiving if turned out it was actually 2 piston up front and not 4 and 2 in the rear.

I wouldn't sue Ford, but I would expect to get some type of refund.
After all, those rear calipers are part of a $1695 package, which the customer paid for.
So either I would want some fair amount of money back, or when I'll bring in the car for service I want them to swap out the calipers and put the ones on that I paid for.

"I'm sure you guys would not be as forgiving if turned out it was actually 2 piston up front and not 4 and 2 in the rear."

Absolutely not, because that actually matters. Not that there is a point to the brembo package in the first place as 1% of people take their mustang on a road course. It is interesting though. Also, considering most big brake kits are around $3k, I'd still say the package they give you + wheels is about right for the option price.

Surprising something like this could slip through.

itbeatswalkin,

I know you were using hyperbole, but I feel like 18.5 inch wheels would be noticed as soon as someone needed replacement tires for the first time and neither 18" nor 19" tires fit.

"Ok, I'm a layman. Explain to me why it really matters whether or not rear brakes need to be dual rather than single piston calipers to begin with. Aren't most braking loads handled by the front brakes?

The answer I come up with on my own is: a) It is a track package, and it has to do with the balance of the braking force on all four wheels and b) It brakes harder with two pistons."

Single piston calipers are enough to make a non-ABS car slide across the intersection. It is about brake pedal feel. Single piston is easy for the manufacturers to install, cheap to manufacture (1 piston vs 2), and they are light. They are great for the general motoring public, a whole lot better than drums. But their lack of material means they flex and allow too much brake pedal swing.

Good brake pedal should be firm with a relatively short travel. The driver should be able to determine the amount of braking force by adjusting pressure over a short range of pedal swing because pedal swing is nonlinear and inaccurate. To that end, you would want to have a big heavy fixed calipers that don't flex much as they squeeze their rotors.

Well, my wife has an '01 Elantra that was originally advertised with 138 or 140 (can't remember which) HP. Turns out it only had 132. That didn't affect how the car drove - obviously it didn't suddenly lose power compared to when we test-drove it - but of course someone sued. The settlement was a $100 Hyundai gift card that could be used at any dealer so we got a few free oil changes out of it.

Ford should throw owners a bone. Offer a first-replacement-free for the rear brake pads, do like Hyundai and provide some $ to be used at Ford dealers, or something.

This is not a trivial marketing issue; the Mulroney sticker was factually incorrect. That leaves Ford opening to fraud/misrepresentation lawsuits.

Wow-what an oversight. I would be pretty mad.

@ ms3

I think you misunderstood. The ACTUAL brake package contains one piston calipers out back. But the spec sheet stated the package came w/ two piston ones. To put it in your own words, "when I'll bring in the car for service I want them to swap out the calipers and put the ones on that I paid for" you paid for 4 piston front, 1 piston rear. There are no 2 pistons available, so the Ford dealer couldn't really put 2 piston brakes on, now could they? But I will agree that it's a FAIL on the part of the Ford marketing guys. But not lawsuit-worthy. If you really want bigger brakes, I think there are some available from Ford Racing, or Roush, or any number of aftermarket companies.

Im on the side that says its a load of crap to be selling such an expensive package (for a mustang) and not giving up what your offering. You'd think if a bunch of fanatics would be able to call their bluff, that surely it was known in the company. It'll be interesting to see how this all turn out; if anything happens at all.

that is a FAIL by ford.

i didn't know the package claimed to come with 2-piston. i am familiar enough w/mustangs that i knew a brembo package only replaced the front calipers/rotors.

however, a lot of people wouldn't know that and yeah, i think they would have a right to be pissed. it isn't a huge thing but i would certainly expect compensation in some form.

but then i recently found out that an m3 has single piston front/rear sliding calipers so, eh...

Raises a flag to customers who are considering a GT purchase. The stopping specks are out & doesn't change as the same brake system was used. However....if the rears had dual pistons; guess what. The front end squat would be minimized. I cite Motor Trends M3 Vs GT track comparo w/ normal Joe & pro driver. The GT would have delivered a knock out punch. For me this was a great story and the GT came out as the leader. But is it necessary to have dual rear brake pistons for our roads & highways? Bang for the Buck is this years Stang. What great engines - both the V8 & V6. Ford could offer a maintenance warranty extension of some kind to offset this marketing blunder. If the GT500 has single rear pistons - this mistake is more crucial. Executives surely knew and let it go. Bad publicity that will impact customer perceptions. Unhappy enthusiasts tend to generate a whole lot of chatter in this day n age. Hope Ford corrects this ASAP.

I think this is just a case of the marketing and web people not being in communication with the engineering and design department. When the Chevy Cruze first went live on Chevy's website it was full of errors. Heck, they had pictures of the plastic wheel covers labeled as alloy wheels, and all the sizes were wrong too. I emailed them about it and it took them probably 2 months to make it right.

When this package's price was listed I thought it sounded too cheap. Compare it to almost any high quality aftermarket kit (Stop tech, AP, Brembo,etc.) and it looked like a great deal. I'd even venture that it's still a good deal with this information and I'd check the box if I was getting a Mustang.

However, I also agree it's a gaffe on Ford's part, even if unintentional. I'd say a few hundred dollar coupon towards next purchase or Ford performance catalog or something like that would be fair and sign of goodwill. I don't think it's fair to just say "subject to change" since one is paying a defined amount for this package with defined features. If you order a 6 Piston kit from Brembo and a 4 Piston kit shows up, you would want a refund. This is not that bad, but approaches it if the 2 piston was referred to in marketing material for the package.

I believe the G8 GXP's Brembo brakes were really just a front kit. Though my 05 CTS-V got 4 piston Brembo fixed calipers all around. But that was a more expenisve car than Mustang GT.

This is no big deal. Guess what kind of calipers are on the mega-buck BMW M3, at ALL corners? Single piston sliding calipers...and they work FINE. You'll note that the screen shot refers to "Brembo 4-piston calipers" in the front, but to just "2-piston calipers" in the rear. No "Brembo" in sight.

Compensation? Really? sounds like a bunch of 6 year olds complaining they didn't get the right toy in a Happy Meal. It was a mess up, it sucks but does not affect the braking performance of the car.

Honestly, the option package seems a little pricey to me. For someone who wouldn't plan on tracking their Mustang, are the upgraded brakes really worth it? The biggest appeal of the package for me are those wheels, but I don't think I would spring for the whole package just to get them.

i got the brembo package and im not worried about this. the package is worth it even without the 2 piston rear brakes.

Its less about how well the breaks work....more about not getting what you paid for. (So all the BMW blah blah blah, My such and such works fine, is all irrelevant) If your paying $1700, your going to want to get your moneys worth; from a purely fair is fair stand point.

"bimmerjay says:
08:38 PM, 01/19/11
Specifications are subject to change at any time without notification..."

So very true. However the OP says it stated the two piston calipers on the window sticker and what's listed on there should not be incorrect or changed in any way shape or form.

^ ya but im my opinion you get plenty for the $1700, did you buy a 5.0 wih brembo package? if not i dont see how you can say we didnt get our moneys worth

that was to 93aero

Wow, nice find Inside Line. Pretty sure none of the other mags would discover it (and it they did, they probably wouldn't publish it).

Ford should drop the price of that "Brembo" brake package to $1,295 ASAP.

@ thedream21479 says:

"HOLY-FRICKIN-OVERSPRAY-BATMAN"

That actually made me laugh!

The Mustang's braking performance may or may not be affected by upgraded rear brake hardware, but Ford advertised something that was simply untrue (whether it was intentional or not). And now Ford needs to make it right somehow with a lot of car guys that bought these things and actually DO care about the hardware details.

Yes, there are performance cars like the M3 (and the recently introduced 1M) that use single-piston sliding calipers all around and have solid braking numbers, but what you see is what you get--cheap but effective hardware. And if BMW advertised any differently, there would be a lot of yelling and screaming. By everyone.

"Ford should drop the price of that "Brembo" brake package to $1,295 ASAP."

how do you figure? The brembo package has always been a front brake swap + new wheels. They just mis reported what the rear brakes were. It is a screw up, but the parts never changed.

Whatever.

The real question is why do so many people post comments here and all over the web using "breaks" or "break" instead of the correct brakes or brake.

Sheesh. It's embarrassing.

"The real question is why do so many people post comments here and all over the web using "breaks" or "break" instead of the correct brakes or brake."

When some vehicles are being described by some posters, the misspelling might be intentional......not often though, I'd guess.

4 piston front= 2 on left and 2 on right =4
2 piston rear = 1 on left and 1 on right =2

That is all, quit crying everyone.

Single calipers in the back aren't a big deal. Quit crying. Most of the braking force is exerted from the fronts.

Oh...and $1700 isn't worth it, for Brembos and a new set of 19" wheels? Are you freaking kidding me? That's one of the best values I've ever heard of.

Demanding compensation as if you've been wronged. How typical of this culture.

"jeepsrt says:

07:50 AM, 01/20/11

Compensation? Really? sounds like a bunch of 6 year olds complaining they didn't get the right toy in a Happy Meal. It was a mess up, it sucks but does not affect the braking performance of the car."

You're right. It's just like if you go to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and order a big ol' porterhouse, and they bring out a slab of meatloaf. It's still beef and it'll still sate your hunger. No big deal.

@maxedoutmax

Wrong!

4 piston front = 2 pistons on each side of the caliper
2 piston rear = 1 piston on each side of the caliper

@tayl0rd

Except thats a poor analogy. The pack has always referred to new front brakes they just try and make it look like the standard rear equipment also comes with it. They just misrepresented what the standard GT has.

anonimo says:

10:15 AM, 01/20/11

"Yes, there are performance cars like the M3 (and the recently introduced 1M) that use single-piston sliding calipers all around and have solid braking numbers, but what you see is what you get--cheap but effective hardware. And if BMW advertised any differently, there would be a lot of yelling and screaming. By everyone. "

Wait, didnt the 135i have SIX piston brakes on the front. When I was looking at it I seem to remember being astonished how heavily equipped a non-M car was in that regard.

I think it's funny when people say this is a great value.... The Camaro 1SS comes with BREMBO 4 PISTON FRONT AND 4 PISTON REAR on all 4 wheels STANDERD! AND 20 INCH WHEELS ALL FOR 32,995 GIVE ME A BRAKE LOL!

Don't want to sound too smug, but one look at that brake setup from 10 yards away tells you that you're looking at single piston sliding caliper, no need to go under the car or pull the wheel, whatsoever..........

I dont see why anyone would be upset, nothing has changes weather it says it has 1 piston or 25 pistons, the stopping distance that has been recorded in test after test is the same nothin has changed one bit. Its not like mustang owners are being told one stopping distance and getting a another that is worse. It seems that its a simple misprint 1 piston insted of 2

"09cobaltsstc says:
02:00 PM, 01/20/11
I think it's funny when people say this is a great value.... The Camaro 1SS comes with BREMBO 4 PISTON FRONT AND 4 PISTON REAR on all 4 wheels STANDERD! AND 20 INCH WHEELS ALL FOR 32,995 GIVE ME A BRAKE LOL!"

Nice research there. Did you even look at what a comparably equipped Mustang costs? Since you didn't, $32,190 gets you a Mustang GT with 19" wheels (20" wheels are not an option at all) and the Brembo pkg. Plus the Mustang will run circles around the Camaro.

Sounds like a bargain to me!

@t10:

Yes--you are correct. The 1M appears to have dropped the expensive six-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo setup from the 135 and gone with a generic (read: much cheaper) single-piston sliding calipers all around--which is what the M3 uses. Believe it or not.

For me, the hardware details matter when paying these prices, and since BMW chose to spec the gorgeous and expensive Brembo setup for the 135, the downmarket brake hardware appearing on the 1M looks that much more conspicuous. As I stated the last time this came up here, it doesn't matter (to me) whether or not the performance numbers are comparable. I want the nicer hardware, especially since a lower-end version of the car in this case uses it. The whole thing is bass-ackwards.

If my Cayman S used cheap brake hardware and the base Cayman used the four-piston Brembos all around, I think I would have a right to be pissed off. It just makes no sense to hand over MORE money for CHEAPER parts.

the camaro's stopping distance is much worse and it needs 4 piston rear with an extra 400 lbs +.The mustang even with 4 piston fron and just 1 PISTON REAR (LOL) it still stops shorter haaaaaaa. If you had the same set up on the mustang you would need somthing to hold your eyes and teeth in place to keep them from poping out

Every comment i see, the camaro somehow keeps gaining weight against the mustang. Now its 400+ lbs. The stock camaro SS comes with 4 piston brembo's on all corners and 20 inch wheels (no paying extra)

The camaro stops in 111ft, the mustang stops at 117ft without brembos, 109ft with. Now what happens on repeated runs and on a track, my guess is the mustang might lose.

You can make any car stop fast a few times, but will it keep stopping that good. Im not sure, i havent seen any tests.

HEY DBAGS32... YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT THE COMPARO ON THIS SITE THE CAMARO SS DID IN FACT OUT RUN THE 5.0 IN THE 1/4 RUN CIRCLES???/ NOT REALLY DO SOME RESEARCH YOURSELF! YOU STILL ONLY GET 19'S WHICH ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN 20'S TO REPLACE PLUS YOU GET LESS H.P AND WHOLE LOT LESS TQ AND IN CASE YOU FORGOT HERE ARE THE SPECS

MUSTANG GT 5.0
Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) 2.1
0-45 mph (sec.) 3.4
0-60 mph (sec.) 5.1
0-75 mph (sec.) 7.3
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 13.3 @ 107.3
0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) 4.8
Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) 30
60-0 mph (ft.) 117
Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) 65.9
Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) 0.87

CAMARO SS

Acceleration, 0-30 mph (sec.) 2.3
0-45 mph (sec.) 3.5
0-60 mph (sec.) 5.1
0-75 mph (sec.) 7.0
1/4-mile (sec. @ mph) 13.1 @ 110.4
0-60 with 1 foot of rollout (sec.) 4.8
Braking, 30-0 mph (ft.) 27
60-0 mph (ft.) 111
Slalom, 6 x 100 ft. (mph) 68.2
Skid pad, 200-ft. diameter (lateral g) 0.89

NOW TELL ME AGAIN WHO RUNS CIRCLES AROUND WHO??/

I love how Mustang fans like to talk big about the mustang "Runing circles" around the Camaro but the comparo on this site and others like C@D and R@T ALL have the Camaro faster weird...Check your facts! http://www.insideline.com/ford/mustang/2011/comparison-test-2011-ford-mustang-gt-vs-2010-chevrolet-camaro-ss.html

The faster guys take that $1700 and put it towards a full set of AP Racing brakes. 6 pistons up front and 4 piston rear --> Done. Why use 24-year-old F40 caliper technology when current stuff is readily available?

@anonimo,

"The 1M appears to have dropped the expensive six-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo setup from the 135 and gone with a generic (read: much cheaper) single-piston sliding calipers all around--which is what the M3 uses. Believe it or not."

That's not exactly correct. You are right that the 1-Series M uses the M3's braking hardware, but you're incorrect that they are cheaper/inferior than what the 135i uses.

First off, Brembo is a Tier 1 OEM supplier. Often times high-end brakes ARE Brembo-supplied but they're not branded. So your assertion that the M3's brakes are cheaper because they're "generic" is patently false - you have no idea who makes them. That doesn't make them cheaper.

Second, the 135i does not use Brembo-branded brakes. They are "BMW generic" as well - they're actually stamped "BMW" on the calipers. Yes, they have 746 pistons compared to the M3's singles, but that's where the supposed advantage ends. The M3 uses compound, cross-drilled rotors at all four corners, the 135i does not. The M3's rotors are also a full inch bigger - 14.2" F/13.8" R versus 13.3" F/12.8" R on the 135i.

"09cobaltsstc says: I love how Mustang fans like to talk big about the mustang "Runing circles" around the Camaro but the comparo on this site and others like C@D and R@T ALL have the Camaro faster weird...Check your facts! http://www.insideline.com/ford/mustang/2011/comparison-test-2011-ford-mustang-gt-vs-2010-chevrolet-camaro-ss.html"

I like both cars, but I can also read. The Mustang is on all-season tires and the Camaro is on summer rubber in that test. That's kind of a big deal for acceleration, braking, and handling tests. In reality the cars are very close in 0-60 and 1/4 mile tests. The biggest gap I've seen in a camparo was MT's with a 0.3 and 0.4 second difference in 0-60 and 1/4 mile respectively, both in favor of the Mustang. Taking a myopic view and only looking at those two stats for each car, most tests have them close enough that it would just come down to how well each driver launched.

For those of you that remember the movie "Friday", there's principalities involved here folks.

I paid for "ABC" and got "A". Of course "A" still works, and I love my purchase so much that getting bent over for "BC" is not even an issue for me. Kudos to Ford for making my vehicle stop anyway.

For those folks, I have the newest greatest pet rocks available for sale. Please contact me ASAP because I only have a limited number of pet rocks, and I'm selling them for this one time price of $1695.00. just provide me with a valid credit card number and your pet Rock will be express mailed to you with the greatest of care and urgency!

It is really just a tragic mistake in the specification sheet.

We should consider that a two piston rear caliper doesn't exist in the S197 world from Ford. Even the BOSS 302R uses the same single-piston rear caliper as the GT. The cost of that part couldn't possibly have been factored into the package cost since it simply doesn't exist.

And $1700 is a hell of a deal. You couldn't duplicate that cost after the fact unless you were buying the parts off of a wreck.

It's a blemish on the part of the Ford and their marketers and advertisers, but the car is changed in no appreciable way.

These Brembos are NOT the same as the aftermarket 4 piston brembo calipers, its just as good as any 4 piston calipers manufactured by other car companies except with a brembo cover..the single piece rotor isnt expensive...for 1695, its not worth it. based on true market value, first, you lost the value of the original front brakes that didnt come with the brembo. 2nd, value of 19 inch rims over 18 isnt that much and it adds weight to the car. nobody pays MSRP for aftermarket brakes..for 1695, i rather buy a set of 4/6 aftermket brake kits and sell the OEM 2 piston sliding caliper

they should mail the second piston to the people, so they got 2 pistons

Disappointing...very disappointing.

I just don't believe this is an honest mistake. From my perspective this is a big fat lie and Ford should at least reimburse everyone who bought this package, or offer them to substitute the calipers.

@ Ford - Do it right, don't repeat the Explorer Firestone tyres fiasco.

Lol at cobalt, talking about brakes and then talks about quarter mile times, "running circles" and "standerd" features.

it's like watching a 12 year old with a stutter trying to form a sentence.

bimmerjay:

I am well aware that the 135i's brakes say "BMW" and not "Brembo" (this has actually been done before--for example, the Volvo V70R I owned a few years back had Brembos labeled only with an "R"). But whether or not the 135i's brakes are Brembo-SUPPLIED (which is a claim I have seen in mulitple times in BMW forums), they are clearly from a brake specialist like Brembo.

And as far as cost goes, the materials, design and mechanics of multi-piston caliper brakes inherently make them more costly to produce. And the fact that you just don't normally see them on cars that cost less than at least $40-50K but see them as standard equipment on everything from Porsche to Ferrari to Indy and F1 cars should tell you that there is, in fact, something inherently better about the design and are used when cost is not an issue. Sliding-calipers are standard equipment for nearly everything on four wheels.

I agree that the rotor size and extra venting would have a performance impact--as well as the pads--but this would not make up the cost differential. Also, look at the finishing on the 135i's calipers--beautifully done and another factor driving up the cost.

Again, this is not an argument about material performance differences between the two designs as it applies to the average driver and normal usage. But I think all of the evidence strongly suggests that multi-caliper applications are generally considered better and, in their relative exclusivity, more expensive.

Ahhhhh this blog gets better and better.

Guys, its not about if the package is a good deal or not, or if the mustang stops well or not. Its about ford effing up on something as basic as vehicles specifications.

Saying crap like 'well it still stops good!' And 'the package is a steal' blah blah blah doesn't change the error made on fords part. Why is that hard to grasp?

Ahhhhh this blog gets better and better.

Guys, its not about if the package is a good deal or not, or if the mustang stops well or not. Its about ford effing up on something as basic as vehicles specifications.

Saying crap like 'well it still stops good!' And 'the package is a steal' blah blah blah doesn't change the error made on fords part. Why is that hard to grasp?

Kudos to IL for actually checking things out in the real world and keeping Ford honest. I've seen many errors in the IL spec-sheets about things like this and assumed this was another mistake, but IL actually was right, even if they didn't know it.

This isn't a big deal, since everyone knows the front brakes do the majority of the work and that's where the money went, since $1700 is par for a single axle set of multi-piston Brembos (and Ford uprates the wheels and tires as well). The main problem from this would be that the rear pads get more taper wear than with a multi-piston sliding caliper set-up.

It seems you guys just want to pick this car to death. I for one want to see numbers since you have no times or numbers for a brembo equipped Mustang with summer performance tires. It seems IL is more interested in tearing the car apart then giving us some numbers for the fastest setup you can get on the Mustang GT. We need new times and numbers so we can see the difference in the all season tire equipped Mustang and summer tires equipped one. It seems when it comes to Fords you test the slowest most handicapped one like a Mustang GT's with all-season tires and then say there's the numbers, instead of getting the setup that’s the fastest. It’s not the first time IL did this. The SHO was tested without the performance pack and they let those numbers stand and never tested the SHO Taurus with a performance pack, which after driving one with the performance pack does make a real difference you can feel.

The comments on this blog is more interesting than the blog itself. It is surprising how many people look at the test data and not one post address brake feel. I'd bet that this car can have sliding calipers all around and still trigger its ABS when pushed. Upgrading brakes will not help you stop shorter. You need racing slicks for that.

The point is that sliding calipers tend to flex and make the brake pedal feel squishy as well as introduce dead travel, both are taboo for sports cars. Proper sports cars have firm brake pedals, which is achieved by making every component rigid, the firewall on which the pedal is mounted, braided steel hoses, relatively rigid fixed caliper. There's no point in having a set of rigid fixed calipers up front and flexible sliding rears as most of the flexing that occurs at the rear would be felt through the brake pedal; unless brake forced is biased way forward, thus overstressing the front tires.

"Guys, its not about if the package is a good deal or not, or if the mustang stops well or not. Its about ford effing up on something as basic as vehicles specifications. "

I don't I saw anyone refuting that, pointing the other things out just show its a typo more than them not giving you what you payed for.

"09cobaltsstc says:

03:34 PM, 01/20/11

HEY DBAGS32... YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT THE COMPARO ON THIS SITE THE CAMARO SS DID IN FACT OUT RUN THE 5.0 IN THE 1/4 RUN CIRCLES???/ NOT REALLY DO SOME RESEARCH YOURSELF!"

Looking at the results from one site is your definition of research? As someone else pointed out the Edmunds comparo was not apples to apples and when they tested a Mustang with the Brembo pkg and summer tires to make it equal to the Camaro it did in fact run circles around the Camaro based on the numbers.

I suggest you go do some reading and catch up with the news. Come back when you can tell us how many comparos the Camaro won with all hardware being equal. For extra credit you can tell us how many times the Camaro was in a head to head with a BMW M3 and all but won. My guess is we won't hear any of that news from you because it will just be too depressing.

By the way, even though the 20 inch wheels and Brembo brakes aren't an option on the SS you do pay for them you know? That's why the base price his higher and I'd rather have the option of tacking on performance parts rather than be forced into paying for them. It seems to me the only reason GM makes them standard is because of the Camaro's weight. I shudder to think how long it would take an SS to stop with normal calipers and pads given how much it weighs.

Nothing wrong with single piston in the rear. Mustang is a nose heavy car and the limit of its rear braking capacity is dictated by rear traction during braking. Since a car shifts weight to the front wheels under braking anyways, the ammount of force the rear caliper needs to apply on a nose heavy Mustang is relatively low compared to say a mid engined car.

The only reason to run multi piston calipers is to distribute the force more evenly over the pad's surface area which reduces pad spread(increased pad wear) and heat transfer into the fluid. If the force to be distributed is low, then having more pistons doesn't really buy you anything other than more unsprung weight in the rear to which live axles are more sensitive anyways.

Nothing wrong with single piston in the rear. Mustang is a nose heavy car and the limit of its rear braking capacity is dictated by rear traction during braking. Since a car shifts weight to the front wheels under braking anyways, the ammount of force the rear caliper needs to apply on a nose heavy Mustang is relatively low compared to say a mid engined car.

The only reason to run multi piston calipers is to distribute the force more evenly over the pad's surface area which reduces pad spread(increased pad wear) and heat transfer into the fluid. If the force to be distributed is low, then having more pistons doesn't really buy you anything other than more unsprung weight in the rear to which live axles are more sensitive anyways.

I have to say, that's a pretty large oversight. In any case, it's not a huge deal. Just imagine how much better the braking performance would be if it actually had dual piston calipers out back.

Class Action lawsuit in 3... 2.... 1.....

@anonimo,

Yes, multi-caliper applications are of course more expensive. However, looking at only the piston count in the calipers is pretty narrow minded. Clearly the engineers take into account the entire braking system when spec'ing out calipers, pads, rotors, etc.

To your point-

"I want the nicer hardware, especially since a lower-end version of the car in this case uses it. The whole thing is bass-ackwards."

I spec'd out 4 pads, calipers/carriers and rotors for an M3 and a 135i on realoem.com. I didn't bother with the springs, sensors, etc since they are similar anyway. Granted these are retail parts prices and not supplier prices, but it gives you the magnitude.

For the M3 the total price was $4254 versus the 135i at $3928. The biggest difference was the front caliper and pad cost ($450 more in the 135i), but the M3's pricer rotors at all 4 corners and better rear calipers easily outweighed that difference ($780 more).

I also happen to own both a '10 135i M Sport convertible and a '10 M3 coupe. The M3's brakes are easily better, they have better initial bite, more feedback and linear effort, and stop shorter (an M3 beats the 135i by about 10 feet in 60-0 tests). I don't know about fade resistance since I haven't pushed both cars to their limits. This is not to say the 135i's brakes aren't fantastic - they are, but the M3's are still clearly better. I'd expect the same to translate to the 1 Series M.

Bottom line: the 1 M's brakes may not be fancy 6-pistons in front like the 135i's, but all around they are still a better, more expensive set-up befitting of the car's increased performance mission.

If it were advertised as 2-piston and not there should be a refund. Like being told it's a V8 and getting a V6.

Car is still awesome.

immaterial performance difference is irrelevant. if u got something that's different from what you paid for on the sticker--less, no less--then FOR SURE u deserve something. for example - ford dealers to provide the option to remove the optional package, replace them with stock material, and provide a full refund for te $1900 paid.

show of hands how many people on this forum own a car? Some of these comments recently, I am really losing site of any intelligent thought.

"There's no point in having a set of rigid fixed calipers up front and flexible sliding rears as most of the flexing that occurs at the rear would be felt through the brake pedal; unless brake forced is biased way forward, thus overstressing the front tires."

That's exactly how it works - brake bias is directed toward the front axle and it makes a safer car, lessening potential control issues and skittishness.

How come no....
'FORD LIED!!!" headline from IL?

It really comes down to this... you paid $1695 for a package that comes with dual piston rear brakes and you didnt get them. Whether its an issue or not, at the end of the day you didnt get what you paid for.

Thats not right no matter what. I'd ask fro a refund of the brake package of at least 50% or demand i get what i paid for.

How come no....
'FORD LIED!!!" headline from IL?

eldaino2 says:
09:50 PM, 01/20/11
"Ahhhhh this blog gets better and better.

Guys, its not about if the package is a good deal or not, or if the mustang stops well or not. Its about ford effing up on something as basic as vehicles specifications.

Saying crap like 'well it still stops good!' And 'the package is a steal' blah blah blah doesn't change the error made on fords part. Why is that hard to grasp?"

+100

macine says:
08:27 AM, 01/22/11
"How come no....
'FORD LIED!!!" headline from IL?"

Funny, they have already done that to GM, right?

Since when does number of pistons in your caliper decide either how much they cost or how well they stop your car? What if the dual piston that was going in what worse than the single piston they are using now? Would still demand that you get that original worse part?

No one is saying ford shouldn't fix it, but there is no discernible value comparison between the phantom dual piston caliper and the single pistons that are on the car.

"It really comes down to this... you paid $1695 for a package that comes with dual piston rear brakes and you didnt get them. Whether its an issue or not, at the end of the day you didnt get what you paid for."

That's not necessarily true. Ford can vary the specs at any time, if the package was never to come with dual piston rears you didn't pay for them to begin with. It could merely be a last minute spec change that didn't make it to the people responsible for publishing them. Plus the price is arbitrary. Ford has every right to change the spec of the package and charge the same amount for it.

At most the consumer might be entitled to a $50 credit, if that.

Ford is still showing dual piston Brembo brake package as a option on their "build and price".

Knew this when I bought the car, and I still bought the brembo brakes. Next.