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Originally Posted by JackG
Blanket statements like that are rarely true. In the Boxster's case, the brakes are already about as good as they get for its normal performance use, like DE or AX.
However, it's a fact that more horsepower on the track will provide higher entry speeds into the corners. With higher entry speeds, you will need more braking to haul the car down to the speed the corner requires. Even if you brake earlier, you'll still be requiring the brakes to absorb more energy. If they are already near their limits, adding more horsepower *will* overcome your brake's capabilities. Brake fade will result.
In that case, it would be a trueism that "More power requires bigger brakes."
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Confirmed.
Stopping distance is mostly a function of weight and tire grip. If you want to stop faster, drop some car weight or add some fat sticky tires or both. A stock base Boxster already has a shorter stopping distance than a Ferrari 575 Maranello. It's no slouch to be sure.
Brake pad/rotor fade and overheat is mostly a function of weight, driving style and brake components. If you often overheat your brakes something is probably wrong: sticking caliper, lost cooling ducts, poor braking technique etc. Find the problem and fix it for 1/20th the cost of all new upgraded brake components.
Spongy, imprecise brake feel at the end of a long track session on a hot day is most likely brake fluid approaching it's boiling point. A well known Porsche problem. This is often misdiagnosed as brake pad fade. If you do a lot of track days just use a good high temp brake fluid and change it once a year.
If you add a bunch of horsepower should you upgrade your brake components? Maybe. For spirited street driving it is probably still overkill. If you are a fire breathing track hound the answer is probably yes.
For example: An 80hp 914 enters turn one at Streets of Willow at around 90mph. My 200hp 986 enters the same turn at 115mph. A well known 295hp 987S enters at 125mph. The 987S is carrying greater speeds into each turn and weighs a little more. He needs to scrub a lot more energy every turn and is more likely to overheat his brakes. The larger 987S brakes are matched to his higher corner entry speeds and higher heat generated.
So if you track you car a lot and drop in a 3.6L motor, bigger brake components are probably in your future. Otherwise you will probably never notice the difference between well maintained stock brakes and "upgraded" brakes... Except perhaps for that all important "Peacock" factor.