Best PFC Brake Pads: 11 vs 08 vs 01 vs 97 Compounds Compared
Performance Friction number their compounds instead of naming them, and the number is the entire decision. There is no street-to-race ladder to climb — an 11 is not “better” than an 08, it is a different pedal.
Here is what each compound is for, in PFC's own words, and how to read the part number so you order the right shape the first time.
Quick picks: which PFC should you run?
- Sprint racing, you want the car to stop — 11. PFC's current benchmark and the biggest range we stock.
- Endurance, or you are paying for rotors too — 08. Longest-wearing pad PFC make.
- Your car was set up around it — 01, still specified on plenty of cars.
- Club racing, track days, Spec Miata — 97. Calmer pedal, low wear.
- Replacing discs as well — PFC two-piece rotors, designed to run with PFC pads as a set.
PFC compound comparison
| Compound | Initial bite | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Very high | Little torque rise with temperature, clean release | Sprint and GT racing |
| 08 | Smooth | Slight friction rise with temperature, very low disc wear | Endurance sportscar and GT |
| 01 | Very high | Low wear, excellent disc conditioning | The original race benchmark |
| 97 | Lower than 01 | Very flat torque curve, naturally low-wearing | Club racing and track days |
PFC 11 (the current benchmark)
PFC built the 11 to replace the outgoing 01, and describe it as taking “the same great high-bite and torque but with even better rotor and pad wear characteristics and improved bite, modulation, and release.”
What they claim for it: very high initial bite and torque, with very little temperature-induced torque rise — so the pedal you get on lap one is close to the pedal you get on lap fifteen. Less torque scatter follows for better modulation, and the release is good enough that it helps eliminate wheel lock at the end of a stop.
That last point is the one drivers notice. A pad that will not let go as the car slows is a pad that locks a front wheel at the apex.
PFC 08 (endurance)
PFC call the 08 one of their newest compounds, and say it “gained immediate favor in Endurance Sportscar, and GT racing due to its performance in applications where smooth initial bite is a must.”
It has a slight friction rise with temperature, excellent release and modulation, and very low abraded disc wear. PFC's own claim is that the 08 wears the longest of all their pads while still carrying a much higher bite than competitors at a comparable wear rate.
Against the 11 this is the calmer pedal: less of an initial hit, more progression, longer life. If you are buying discs as well as pads, run the numbers on the set rather than the pad.
PFC 01 (the original)
The compound PFC built their name on. Their line is that the 01 “is the standard by which all racing brake pads are judged” — very high initial bite and torque, very little temperature-induced torque rise, less torque scatter at the end of the stop for improved modulation and excellent release.
They also credit it with low wear and excellent disc conditioning, and say it has won more World and National Championships than any other brake pad on the market.
If you are specifying a car from scratch, start at the 11 — it is PFC's own replacement and carries the same bite with better wear. The 01 is here because plenty of cars are still set up around it, and plenty of drivers still want exactly that pedal.
PFC 97 (club racing and track days)
The 97 has less initial bite and torque than the 01, and PFC pair that with great modulation, a very flat torque curve and excellent release characteristics. It is a naturally low-wearing pad.
They describe it as popular in the endurance circuits and amongst club racers and track-day drivers, with a record in CART, ALMS, Grand Am, ASA and club racing. It is also the Spec Miata compound in this catalogue, which tells you what it is really for: a full day of sessions on a car you drove to the track.
The rotors are part of the system
PFC's rotors are two-piece, and the reason is cooling — a two-piece rotor cools better than a one-piece design. Their Direct Drive attachment is fully floating, letting the disc expand and contract both radially and axially without being constrained by the hub. PFC's position is that this eliminates rotor warping, vibrations and pulsations.
The V3 generation swaps the traditional nuts and bolts for a two-turn retaining ring, held in a groove in the hat that overlaps the rotor flanges and locks the disc to the hat. It saves weight and makes a rotor change much faster — which matters when you are doing it between sessions rather than in a workshop.
Rotors are handed, so order left or right correctly, and check whether a listing is the disc alone or a complete rotor-and-hat assembly.
How to read a PFC part number
PFC pads use a four-part number such as 0918.11.19.44. The first block is the pad shape; the second is the compound. So 0918.11 and 0918.08 are the same pad in two different compounds, and one shape number covers every car running that caliper.
If you already know your shape, searching that number is much faster than searching your car — and it is worth checking against PFC's application guide before you order. Pads are sold by axle, so confirm front or rear on the listing.
One search tip: most of this range is listed as PFC rather than “Performance Friction”, so search the short name.
What fits
Coverage here is heavily Porsche — 991 GT3, Cayman GT4, 997 GT3, 991 Cup and 992 GT3 Cup — with strong BMW behind it, plus TCR and GT4 Clubsport pads in the 331, 332 and 333 compounds.
Not sure what to run?
Browse all PFC brake pads or the full Performance Friction range, or tell us the car, the caliper and what you do with it and we will confirm the shape before you order.