After having my car for 8 years this is my first post. Thank you to all of you who have help me over the years even when they didn't know it. Yes Blayne all sports have bigger rotors so you want the the ones for sport suspension. If I may add I run drilled rotors also and when I did my brakes again this summer I tried something new at napa. They have hybred brake pads for the cts and they are killer. They are full ceramic and the back pad is harder then the front so your pads wear even. But all I can say after many brake pads (6 sets) these are the best. I can beat the daylites out of them and no fade ever. ther a hundred bucks a pair but well worth it. My hawks would start to fade after just 5 min of beating on them. If you want your brakes to feel better put on stainless lines. But i will point out that they just feel better when your way in them it doesn't stop any shorter. I have brembos rotors on right now but I had just plain drilled rotors off ebay and there is zero diff. So save some cash and buy good drilled not sloted rotors and those pads and the will crush the factory set. Ron
Your 'sport' didnt come with bigger rotors.
----------
Does it matter that much? I mean if you had the non-sport package can't you just as easily upgrade to the size that's on the OEM sport package? The JE5 rotors will go right on all years, correct?
I ask because I'm on the verge of buying a nice set of used 18" OEM 12 spoke sport package wheels for my 03, and I've got the stock 16"s on now. I'm afraid the rotors currently on will look skimpy in comparison to the new 18" wheel size and I'd like some extra stopping power anyway if I get a little into autocross this summer. I discussed this already a bit in another thread and I think the conclusion was that yes it wouldn't be any problem and going with the R1 concept rotors was best.
Run some auto-x before you start buying parts. You may find that your stock rotors with a good set of autox pads from Hawk or something similar will be enough, if you dont do back to bacck runs.
----------
Ok thanks guys. I do have the sport appearance and sport suspension package so I will be sure to get the proper rotors. Ronn, I will look into those pads. From what the members here have said the ceramic pads from R1 are also pretty good. There is a NAPA near me here so I will go see them too.
If Ronn iss talking about the Adaptive One hybrid set, then Im familiar with the pads. Im not sure what hes talkinbg about when he says the rears have harder pads. Thats not true in my experience. The word 'hybrid' is used because the inner and outer pads are different compositions. IIRC, the inner has a higher metallic content. I had them installed along with NAPA's Performance rotor. They are a great all around pad for a daily driver. If you wanted something better for a run at the Dragon, and dont mind switching pads when you get back, there are some better good options out there.
PS. You cant have a CTS with both Sport model and Sport package. The Sport model has 18's while the Sport package had 17's, among the other numerous differences.
