Brake pads Akebono or Hawk Performance

Neither, I installed the Zimmerman/Akebono kit this summer and am pleased with the performance.

Akebono pads are a bit pricey compared to some of the cheaper stuff you can get at your local autoparts store, but they are worth it if you just want your brakes to work well and be quiet. It's what Honda uses from the factory.

I would encourage you to pick up some basic tools, two jack stands , and a jack since you can save a lot of money down the road doing your own brake pads and rotors. Don’t cheap out on Brake pads and rotors since the very low quality rotors can warp very fast. I recommend getting akebono Brake pads and a decent set of rotors that’s mid range like centric. Brake pads are very easy to do and don’t forget to get blue threadlocker and to get a torque wrench and a breaker bar. As others have mentioned maybe in some auto parts stores in the Australia you might be about to rent certain tools. And there are tons of YT videos. Be sure to look for torque specs for your car. Also don’t forget to apply silicone brake grease to your caliper guide pins which is safe for rubber boots.

Hawk makes the DTC series for the 718 base. Can't go wrong with the DTC-30 for a pad that you can drive back and forth to the track and will perform very well on track. The dust is nasty and corrosive though, so I'd recommend cleaning the wheels and changing the pads out for street duty.

I had Hawk HP+. They were extremely noisy and dusty, very strong bite though. I now have the standard Hawk HP pads, no noise and far less dust. Not as much initial bite, but still really great performance. I wouldn’t swap back to the HP+ after having both.

Have used these for a while now and will be getting them again to pair up with some DBA t3 rotors

Hawk (no, not that Hawk) pads work well, bedding in process is straightforward, and they only squeaked for a first few hundred miles or so when coming to a dead stop.

I autocross mine. With whatever pads the last guy used and old fluid, I could put the brake pedal to the floor without activating ABS. I swapped out pads for hawk hps 5.0 and put on new standard rotors and now I can stop almost instantly. I very highly recommend the hps 5.0.

I used up 40% of brand-new Hawk HPS pad in the front in 1 track day, so I only have 1 or 2 more track days left in them.

I would stay away from Hawk pads. I've never had good luck with them... terrible feel when cold, poor lifespan and even had two sets start chunking and coming off backing plate.