My Background Research into BBK
At this point, it is no secret I am an OE+ fan boy of the M3 GTS, with my personal goal of transforming my Stripper Spec FO E92 M3 ZCP into my very own version of a Canadian GTS +.
The E9X M3 brakes have had essays written about them: some good, some bad, some ugly. It all depends on your evaluation framework and use case.
A big part of most of our builds is a big brake kit upgrade - and the M3 GTS didn't exactly disappoint. It sported 6 piston front and 4 piston rear Brembos with 378mm front discs that were pretty light weight. A quick stroll at our US' import distributors of OE BMW M parts shows the kits sell at 14,000$.
OE+ fanboism has its limits.
I dove deep into the multiple retrofit kits available on the market, scrolling through every single thread on the topic and chatted with some knowledgeable brake specialists at various manufacturers.
Many retrofit kits unfortunately have compromises I am unwilling to make: brake bias, rotor technology, caliper technology, high temperature finishes, ease of caliper sourcing, ease of pad changes, pad sweeping surface, brake pads versatility and size - the lot, it all matters and the perfect kit simply doesn't exist.
This is where Slon Workshop's brilliance in their engineering of their Modular BBK Retrofit comes in.
Think of it like Lego.
Mikhail and his team at Slon Workshop have developed a Modular BBK Retrofit for the E9X M3 that balances the numerous variables of upgrading your OEM E9X M3 brakes. Their kit was developed in a modular mindset, with no sacrifice to performance, including the infamous brake balance issues of most retrofit kits on the market.
They have developed 2 main complete kits; Basic Kit, and Advanced Kit using a brand new, 6 piston Brembo caliper.
The 6 piston Brembo caliper selected by Slon is extremely versatile and anchors the front axle of all kits offered. The Brembo Caliper & Bracket combo is compatible with ALL rotors listed below, just change pad sizes and use the adapters to adjust clearance.
It can fit 48mm pads, 57.5mm pads, 65mm pads and even 76mm pads for varying disc diameter and sweeping surface.
The caliper is an open bridge design with metal clips for fast and easy pad changes at the track. The caliper weighs only 3.3kg, with the brackets coming in at 350g.
