Brake pads Raybestos or OEM BMW

I installed R56 front brakes.

I usually get aftermarket Raybestos pads if/when available.

I have Raybestos AT's(96087) on my front, and Hawk HPS HB418F.646 pads. Don't think Hawk makes the HPS pads anymore though. I'm at about 2.5 years on mine, got 4 years out of the last set, after putting up with the OEM's for 4.5 years. Still on the factory rear drums.

Far better than OEM.

So I don't work for Raybestos but I do install a ton of them. Those EHT are really good for normal vehicles. The price is right, dust is low, pedal feel is great, friction is about on par with OEM and in some cases better. They will survive about 10-15 medium effort stops, and about 3-5 Hard ABS stops. I wouldn't put them in anything bigger than a 7-Seater V6 Crossover, and the weight of those is on the limit of what the pads can do, but over all very good.

The brakes I got from them are the Raybestos Element3 pads and rotors. Working great so far!

I will move to Raybestos EHT or PowerStop Z23 or Z26 when its time. Wagner has Thermoquiets for those with ear problems.

M3 stock brakes are better, the GTI gets a little tail-happy under hard braking above 110-130mph.

Seems like there would be room in the market for a slightly detuned S55 base model without the fancy seats, brakes and wheels for about $5-8k less like the M3/M4: M3/M4 Competition.

The way the brakes begin to grumble during heavy braking is less impressive, but they work well enough.

the steering lacks the consistent weighting and tactile communication that a Porsche offers. For a car this rapid, it's not as talkative as it should be. We've also got reservations about the brakes. Our test car was fitted with competition-grade brake pads to cope with track use, but they still faded badly after a handful of hard laps.