Brake pads Brembo or Duralast

Ric also got Renault to use Brembo brakes when he was racing for them.

Couldn't answer your first two questions, but the last question about Brembo being reliable is a very solid "yes".

Brembo directly supply Mercedes with their brakes.

The camaro SS uses brembo pads which are really good hence the price tag (imo the quote you got is pretty reasonable). If you want a more cost effective alternative, hit up MSW autoparts and ask for Zlatko. They have EBC brake pads which are also really good aftermarket pads.

Brembo make some fantastic road-orientated sintered pads, they improved my Street Twin loads.

Running coated rockauto rotors (rust belt life) and brembo ceramic pads. Stops well for under 250 for all 4.

Brembo Z04 is very expensive but is the strongest pad you can buy

Vesrah RJL-ZZ is cheaper and can offer decent bite and is fairly linear pad, XX is stronger but also more progressive

EBC GPFAX is a good pad and cheaper, kind of similar to the ZZ but slightly less feel and weaker

Sure OEM pads and calipers can stop a loaded truck on the street, but what about when your loaded truck is on a long downhill rough trail? Your brakes get very hot and you can get brake fade and too much heat can damage components, warp rotors, etc (especially after hot brakes meet cool puddle or creek crossing). I went with Dynamic Friction Ultimate Duty pads and I am glad I did because i hit a bunch of those downhill trails the next trip and they got hot, could smell them, but no brake fade and no issues since.

Had my Giulietta's Brembo 330s fronts done (pads and discs) for about $350 with labour and taxes

The amount of dust from Brembo pads never fails to drive me absolutely insane. Phenomenal brakes, but my god is cleaning the wheels constantly brutal.

I have Brembo brake pads and they are very noisy.