The Ultimate Street Car Challenge 3: Braking

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of vehicle performance, braking performance is quantified directly in this test, but it's also a critical part of the road race portion, and if you do it right, the Gross Display of Horsepower contest.

Due to waning light, contestants were allowed just one 60-to-0 braking run, which simulates a real-world panic stop situation. The Hoosier tires run by every non-Supra and Kumho-shod MR2 were difficult for the non-ABS cars to manage, as they don't make any noise when they lock up.

James Chen's 350Z stopped like he popped a 'chute, using just 103.9 feet to stop from 60 mph. Already impressive factory binders were replaced in front with a mondo 14-inch Brembo big brake package, with the stock Brembo two-piston setup in the rear. Having massive, sticky Hoosiers working with huge rotors and superb ABS made this car toughto beat.

Stopping less than 3 feet longer than last year's winner, Matt's green Supra with stock brakes with Carbotech Panther Plus pads and ABS impressed with a 109.2-foot stopping distance.

Add almost 13 feet and you get a tie for third place. Rich Eager's red Supra, using a 13-inch StopTech big brake setup hauled down in 122.3 feet, as did Jay's Ultima, which uses Indycar brakes and is the lightest car in the contest, although he struggled with rear-brake bias problems.

Less than 3 feet separated the stopping distance of the two Eclipses, using essentially the same StopTech big brake packages and Pagid Orange pads.

Brake hardware borrowed from the Audi S8 and consisting of 13-inch rotors and Brembos in the front and 11.7-inch S8 calipers in the rear had trouble slowing the Teutonic behemoth, which landed in seventh place.

Despite last year's winning Viper decelerating like it hit the flight deck, this year's snake came in second-to-last place (of running cars), despite 13-inch rotors all around and every part of the braking system upgraded.

The MR2, which blew up on the dyno, and the Skyline, which done nuked just prior to the event, failed to start this test and scored big goose eggs as a result.--Jared Holstein

OVERALL
Modern ABS launched the 350Z into the lead, followed by the all-manual foot action of Narvaez's Eclipse and the stock brakes of Eager's Supra. With more than a 25-point lead, Chen had it locked up, so to speak, after the brake test, but second could still go with the Gross Display of Horsepower.

Car Show Test	The Guru Panel Test	Dyno Test
Emissions Test	Grandma Test	Driveability Test
Fuel Economy Test	Skidpad Test	Road Course Test
Acceleration Test	Braking Test	Gross Display of Horsepower Test
	The Winner