Well, now the Germans are getting a little arrogant! I had my brakes looked at by a German friend who works for Mercedes. He looked at the pads, the rotor, and calipers and said if these brakes were on a German specs car it would be deemed unsafe! This is the new GXP! He said for a car to have a V8 and 18 inch wheels, it would be mandatory to have cross drilled rotors....PERIOD! No if ands or buts. He said the type of pads on there were almost forbidden in Germany because they are too dangerous and heat up too fast. He then took my car out, with me in it.....slammed the brkaes at 75 mph and we both noticed shuttering. You could hear the vibration and he said he could feel the pedal getting sloppy. I told him that was probably the ABS kicking in and he said that was BS. He said he knows ABS and that he didn't hit it hard enough to trigger it. He then tested it on a machine and said the back brakes on my car were not being utilized enough. He said for a car that big, that heavy, front wheel drive, 18 inch wheels and a V8 should have much much bigger rotors in the rear wheels and provide more braking. He said he saw more braking on the rear wheels of a Ford Fiesta! I thought the brakes were good but I guess for a German car they aren't. He then showed me an a 6 cylinder diesel Mercedes with smaller wheels but a bigger rotor than the GXP'* and cross drilled and the car had less HP. He said "Now that is a break system." This guy knows quite a bit about American cars but I told him in America we don't have unlimited speed limits like the autobahn and don't need the brakes like they do. He understood but still couldn't understand how the flagship car for a GM company could have worse brakes than most German cars! I think this guy is full of crap and I told him so. He is a friend and I know he meant well but I would like to know what the deal is here. Any comments?

weaker rear brakes make the car more stable for stupid american drivers?

GM designers who have degrees in there respective fields, approved the GXP to roll out the door with thoes brakes. I would trust a GM design team over just a tech at a Merc. dealer ship (not cutting on your friend) . Yes the benz have slotted cross drilled crap and better brakes but how much soes it cost the replace that stuff...lots of $$$ as apposed to going to the local Advance and getting a set of ceramic pads and rotors. Benz have to run on the autobahn and there brakes have to accommodate them, our speed limits are at 70 max. You only get brake fade if your are doing laps and racing the car.

point is that GM wouldnt let the car leave the R&D if it was unacceptable

we dont put much emphasis on braking over here in the US. Think about how many engine innovations there have been and then think about how many braking innovations there have been. I think it is a cost cutting point for american car makers. The Bonnie did not get 4disc brakes until 2000, and think about how much it weighs.

I agree that we may not put as much emphasis on brakes as the Germans do but I still think the GXP brakes are pretty good. Actually, other than than the brake dust, and some squeaking when they are dirty I think they're excellent! And I agree that GM would not let this car out the door with inferior brakes My German friend is actually jealous of my car. Even though he slams the brakes issue he does say for the money, options, and looks, there is no way a German car manufacturer could offer all that for the money I spent. I still get looks all the time here in Berlin! I'll park it somewhere and people stare and come walking over to it to see what this "exotic" thing is! If I am there when they come over I pop the hood and they smile with awe. It'* really an ego boost for me! German V8'* are rare and when they are around, their drivers are usually so full of themselves. I saw a Mercedes V8 today on the road with a supercharger. Not sure which one it was but it had four chrome tail pipes like the GXP. Nice but very plain looking in my opinion. I'm sure it would blow my doors off but I bet he spent 80-100 grand for that thing. Anyways, thanks for the responses. Ok, time to drive and boost that ego some more!

Don't take crap from him unless he drives a nice BImmer or Benz.

As a lot of other members have pointed out the driving habits/culture between europe and the US is very differnet. Not only are our highway speeds slower than the autobahn our roadways are better regualted to reuce un-necessary braking. I have drivenin Europe and was amazed at the amount of stop and go drving required to negotiate the city streets. I have to believe that the increased amount of braking, even at lower speeds, drives the need for beffier brakes on those Benz'* and Beamer'*. Although the GXP is a sport sedan we don't get many opportunities to "legally" wring it out.

Rear discs do less then 30% of the braking. Larger rotors up front and rear are necessary. 99% of GXP'* run in a country with the highest speed limits @ 85.

Driving a "nice bimmer or benz" doesn't mean chit. They're cars just the same as ours.

Highest "legal" speed limit... it is fun to blow by the benz'*, beamer'*, infinity'* etc here in central Florida while they try to figure out what kind of car that was! LOL

That kraut needs to realize that'* an American car in Europe. An American mechanic would nitpick over the stupid things a European car would have. DOT headlamps arent legal in Europe, just like E-code lamps are illegal here. Apples and oranges.