But that said, motorists are generally more concerned of what's underneath the hood - better engine performance, more power, faster acceleration - and taking the braking power for granted. 

With increasing attention to the tinier details of a car, brake modifications are becoming one of the essential upgrades. Other than the greater ability to shed off speed, big brake kits also complement the aesthetics of a tuned ride. 

Brake kits and its fundamental role

As with any types of automotive tuning, brake kits are essential and play tandem to any performance upgrades. Motorists are recognising the importance of equipping their cars with better brakes, which helps make for a safer drive, while they equip their engines with more tarmac scotching power.

This will in turn allow them better control of their cars, especially when the need arises to shed their velocity in a more efficient manner.

Types of automotive brakes

While automotive brakes serve a common purpose - which is to put out speed in the car - they come in various types and sizes. Generally, there are two main types of setup, namely drum brakes and disc brakes. 

The former is more commonly found in lower end cars, as well as heavy duty vehicles such as trucks. Disc brakes, on the other hand, are becoming more popular in cars as most automotive manufacturers opt for their better performance and less complex setup. 

With lessons learnt from the motorsports field, disc brake design has also evolved through the years. For instance, brakes now come with better heat dissipating features, such as drilled or grooved discs, to ensure there is lesser occurrence of overheating. 

By utilising different materials, such as carbon composites, disc brakes are also more resistant to heat, and can retain their braking power even under highly strenuous conditions such as at the racetracks.


Where form meets function - D1 Spec Brake Kits

Understand the importance of form and function, D1Spec pays strong emphasis on the appearance of their brake kit on top of maintaining superior performance.

As such, D1 Spec Brake Kits are designed specially to complement their looks, with a vivid display of bright colours and chunkiness to portray a more performance-oriented image. 

Credit to its superior product quality, D1 Spec enjoys a good reputation in the aftermarket industry. The company holds a significant 85 percent market share in Taiwan, and distributes to various markets around the world, such as U.S.A, Japan, Korea, Australia and Europe.

To ensure stringent and consistent quality control, all parts of D1Spec products are manufactured in-house. Over the years, they have built a strong R&D team with continuous collaboration and technical knowledge support from Japan, to develop products and cater to different requirements of each market.

For maximum strength yet maintaining lightweight properties, D1 Spec brake calipers are made from aluminium alloy, which are forged under a 4,000-ton high heat and high pressure method. As a result, the calipers boast significant weight savings over conventional calipers that are made of cast iron, hence, improving the fuel economy of your car.  

To maintain its aesthetical appeal over time, the surface of the caliper is painted using Kiln dried nano technology. On the other hand, the brake pads are fabricated using carbon compounds, which boast better braking power without compromising on the comfort during braking manoeuvres. 

For instance, most big brake kits cause sudden jerks when the brakes are applied, which can result in discomfort. 

To eliminate this problem, the materials used in D1 Spec Brake Kits are derived and fabricated after laborious testing under different road conditions, and are designed to eliminate any factors that can be detrimental to the car's comfort, such as jerking and sound emission.

D1 Spec Brake Kits also feature a 'floating disc' design for the rotor. The hat is machined out of billet aluminium to reduce the unsprung mass, and in turn boasts better handling dynamics of the car.

Aluminium is also used because of its high resistance to thermal stress, hence making it a safer choice. The rotor is made of high carbon cast iron, and is engineered to permit a greater degree of radial and axial float. To allow better heat dissipation, D1Spec brake disc is available in both drilled and slotted versions.


Suiting a wide range of applications

To cater to different requirements, D1 Spec Brake Kits come in a variety of sizes. The front brakes are available in four-pot, Big six-pot and Mini six-pot configurations, while the rear sports a two-piston setup. The kit also includes 50-degree to 720-degree brake pads, as well as steel braided brake hose for maximum durability. 

Fabulous-X is the local distributor of D1 Spec Brake Kits. Besides Brake Kits, they also carry a wide array of D1 Spec products, such as coilovers, voltage stabilisers, Cold Air Intake (C.A.I.), fuel regulators, and air boosters. 

To ensure a continuity of product quality, there is a specialised team of technicians in-house to provide professional modification and set up services.

With effect from 1^st May 2017, Fong Kim Racing Development Pte Ltd is the authorised distributor for D1 Spec products. Existing customers can engage Fong Kim Racing Development Pte Ltd for any enquiries or warranty matters. Fong Kim Racing Development Pte Ltd is located at Blk 53 Ubi Avenue 1 #01-01 Paya Ubi Industrial Park Singapore (408934).