Big Brake Kit
XYZ Racing Hollow Front Brake Kit — Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230 (2001-2012)
SKU: XYZ-BRK-BKF-ME-01-E-FRONT
- IncludesFront axle pair (2 discs + 2 calipers)
- PositionFront
- Disc Ø330–444 mm
- Caliper pots6 / 8 / 12-pot
- Lead time10–15 working days
Fits Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230 (2001-2012)
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Caliper render for this kit:
The R230 SL was never a light car. A steel-framed retractable hardtop, a large-displacement V8 set well forward in the engine bay, and a cabin appointed for transatlantic comfort add up to a platform that weighs considerably more than its performance numbers suggest. The front brakes carry the heaviest end of that equation, and on a sustained B-road run or a circuit day the standard discs accumulate heat faster than they shed it. The XYZ Racing front brake kit answers that thermal constraint directly, giving the Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230 stopping performance proportionate to what its V8 delivers at the top end.
This is not a car that needed help with ride compliance, since the ABC active body control handled that from launch. The case for this kit is purely brake capacity: a single-axle upgrade, a matched pair of front calipers and two-piece floating discs for the left and right corners, that keeps the pedal firm across a sequence of hard stops and resists fade when the road demands sustained heavy braking.
What this brake kit does for your 2001-2012 Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230
The hollow-vane disc is the functional core of the upgrade. Air is drawn through the rotor body as the wheel turns, pulling heat off the friction surface before it saturates, the failure mode R230 owners typically encounter when pushing the car through a sequence of late braking zones or a long, fast descent. The two-piece floating disc rides on an alloy centre bell that cuts unsprung and rotating mass, sharpening turn-in and letting the front end recover faster between stops. Three pad compounds configure the system at purchase: Street as the quiet, low-dust default for road use, Sport for fast-road work where bite and heat range matter, and Racing for track days where higher threshold temperatures and fade resistance become the priority. Braided stainless lines keep pedal travel consistent as the discs heat, giving the kit a considered finish behind the open-spoke wheels the SL platform frequently wears.
About the XYZ Racing Front Brake Kit
XYZ Racing’s front brake kit is a direct-fit brake upgrade for the R230 chassis. The hollow-vane disc differs from a conventionally vented casting in the directness of its cooling path: rather than relying solely on surface airflow across the disc face, the internal geometry draws air through the rotor body under rotation, holding lower friction-face temperatures across repeated stops. Pad compound is specified at purchase across three options, Street, Sport and Racing, spanning road-weighted performance to full circuit use, so the buyer dials in the thermal window their driving demands without a separate parts search. The forged caliper is hollow-bodied as standard, with painted finishes included at no extra cost in Red, Yellow, Gold, Black, or Anodized Black, plus a Custom Color to any Pantone for £150. Polished-forged finishes run to Titanium, Polished Gold and Polished Silver, candy finishes to Teal, Blue, Red and Orange. Discs are drilled or slotted at the same price, two-tone centre bells come in five anodized colours or titanium, and a Hollow Racing upgrade is available for the track, dropping the dust cover, rated to 1000C with a two-year warranty. The kit is front-axle specific for this application, targeting the corner that carries the most mass and generates the greatest braking heat in sustained use.
Fitment for the Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230 (2001-2012)
This kit covers the Mercedes Benz SL 550 in R230 specification across the full production run from 2001 to 2012. Mercedes badged the R230 as the SL500 until the 2006 facelift, at which point the revised engine and SL550 designation were introduced; if ordering for a pre-2006 car, confirm the chassis code is R230 and this kit applies to your vehicle. Fitment is front-axle only for this SKU.
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Choose your pad compound, disc style and caliper finish when you order to configure yours for the R230.
What’s in the kit
Front axle kit — supplied as a complete bolt-on assembly.
- 2×Two-piece floating discs — 330–444 mm: you pick the exact diameter with the "Disc size" option
- 2×Lightweight aluminium centre bells
- 2×Forged aluminium calipers — 6 / 8 / 12-pot
- 2×High-stiffness mounting brackets
- 2×Braided stainless steel brake lines
- 4×High-performance brake pads (1 set)
- 1×Fitting hardware & tools pack
Choosing your spec
Every kit is built to order around the choices you make above. Here is what each option actually changes, so you can spec yours with confidence.
Brake pads — Street, Sport or Racing
Every kit ships with a full set of high-performance pads; the compound is your call.
Street is the right default for fast-road driving — a strong, progressive cold bite with low noise, low dust and long disc life. Sport raises the working temperature and adds bite and fade resistance for hard road use and the occasional track day, while still behaving on a cold morning. Racing is a track compound built for sustained abuse: huge fade resistance and bite once heat is in it, at the cost of more noise and dust when cold. Match the pad to how hard you actually use the brakes — there is no benefit to a race pad that never gets up to temperature.
Caliper grade — Hollow vs Hollow Racing
Hollow is the standard caliper on every kit: a hollow-body forged caliper, lighter than a solid one, fitted with a dust cover and backed by a 5-year oil-leak warranty. For most fast-road and spirited track use it is all the caliper you need.
Hollow Racing is the track-grade upgrade. It runs the same hollow body but without a dust cover (so there is nothing to melt at sustained high temperature), uses a twin-metal piston that isolates heat travelling from the disc to the oil seal, and is rated to 1000°C. Available 286–380mm (front). Warranty is 2 years on oil leaks and 10 years on appearance. Built for professional racing and repeated track days.
Caliper colour & finish
Painted colours (Red, Yellow, Gold, Black, Anodized Black) are included at no cost. Want an exact match to your car? Custom Color (+£150) paints the calipers to any Pantone code you supply (15–20 day lead time).
Polished Forged finishes are the flagship: a forged caliper given a mirror-polished surface treatment that shifts colour with the viewing angle. Beyond the looks, the polished surface dissipates heat better, resists rust and stands up to the weather. Choose Titanium (neochrome, +£350), Polished Gold (+£300) or Polished Silver (+£250). They look their best paired with a titanium centre bell. Care: clean only with a dilute neutral cleaner or water.
Candy colours (+£200) use a deep candy-paint and polishing process for a mirror-reflection, boutique finish — pick Teal, Blue, Red or Orange (shown below right).
Centre bells
The centre bell is the CNC-machined aluminium hat that joins the disc to the hub. The standard anodized centre bell is included. The Two-tone bell (+£200) adds an anodized accent ring — choose Red, Yellow, Orange, Purple or Silver right here at checkout. The Titanium centre bell (+£500) is a forged titanium bell (bolts not included) that finishes off the polished-forged look.
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More XYZ products for the Mercedes Benz SL 550 R230 appear here as the rest of the range publishes.