As far as braking performance goes, brake rotors, along with brake pads, play a major part in dictating how well your car brakes. For some, rotor and pads performance is a matter of safety. For others, it’s a way to estimate how late they can get on the brakes right before a corner. That being said, performance is just one aspect of rotor design, albeit the most important one. Many car owners, even the most pragmatic ones, care about how their rotors look in addition to how well they perform.
There’s nothing worse than seeing a nicely framed car with stylish rims and a carefully fine-tuned aesthetic that is disrupted by rusty rotors. This is particularly true for entry level nimble sedans like Honda Civics Si and the like that rarely get top-tier big brake kits. This is where the Brembo 09.5457.31 rotor kit (Honda part number 45251S6M000) comes in.
More than Just OE Spec
Brembo is the type of brand that is often associated with motorsports and high-end supercars. The list of Porsches, Lamborghinis, and other exotics that run Brembo kits from the factory is long and riddled with all kinds of legendary models.
However, that’s not all Brembo does. This company offers one of the largest catalogs of OE spec rotors, pads, and other brake system components for regular cars. We’re talking regular people-movers that won’t necessarily turn heads on the street.
Brembo’s OE line of rotors and pads goes beyond your typical OE spec. With decades of motorsports experience under its belt, the company is able to use lessons learned on the track to improve its commercial segment and give your average driver a taste of high-performance braking. That is exactly what the Brembo 09.5457.31 UV rotor kit does for you.
Put together by Newparts.com, this kit includes two front brake rotors that fit a range of Honda Civic and Acura RSX models produced from 2002 all the way to 2011. This particular rotor features a standard cast iron, fully ventilated design as required by Honda/Acura. Brembo was very careful to meet these OE specs, and then went a step further.
Say Goodbye to Rusty Rotors
One of the main selling points behind Brembo’s OEM 09.5457.31 rotors (Honda part number 45251S6M000) is the UV protection coating that Brembo applies to all rotors from this segment. The Italian giant had recognized a gap in the market — almost all OE brake rotors begin to rust as soon as they come into contact with the environment.
As expected, this is mostly a problem with the rim and the hat of the rotor. Back in the day when regular cars rarely came with nice wheels, a rusty rotor was a non-issue. These days, even your regular Honda Civic often features stylish Enkei wheels, which are anything but ordinary. Rusty rotors are no longer acceptable, no matter what you drive.
Brembo’s advanced UV coating solves this issue in an effective and environmentally friendly way. The chemicals that make up the coating are in line with Brembo’s mission to reduce its own carbon footprint.
The coating is resilient enough to withstand the constant exposure to humidity as well as frequent precipitation in colder, wet climates. Is it the be-all, end-all solution to rusty rotors? No. Unfortunately, the industry is yet to come up with a permanent solution for this problem that will last for the lifetime of the rotor. However, Brembo is one of the few brands, if not the only brand that has extended this rust protection far beyond what is currently considered the industry standard.
Performance to Match the Aesthetics
Is Brembo 09.5457.31 a high-performance rotor? Not really. After all, it was built to meet Honda’s 45251S6M000 part number specifications. That being, it’s not your basic OE replacement either. Aside from the advanced UV coating that protects the hat and the rim of the rotor, you’re also getting Brembo’s PVT ventilation technology.
Your average ventilated rotor consists of two braking surfaces joined together by a network of ventilation vanes. These vanes are usually directional in their design, which is supposed to improve the overall airflow between the two braking surfaces and help mitigate the high temperatures the brake pads generate when you press them against the rotor.
Brembo’s PVT system is an improved design that uses a pillar setup instead of regular vanes. The idea behind the PVT design is to reduce the amount of empty space between the two sides of the rotor, without reducing the amount of airflow. As a result, you have a rotor that is far more resistant to thermal cracking (up to 40% per Brembo’s own data), and every bit as good with ventilation.
Brembo 09.5457.31 Rotor Kit as Honda 45251S6M000 Replacement — Yay or Nay?
At the end of the day, there are no negatives to getting a set of Brembo OEM UV-coated rotors. These are cheaper than the OEM part, yet they deliver a lot more bang for your buck. Furthermore, if you know where to shop, you can get a pretty good deal on them, which will save you even more money. Newparts.com has them at a very decent price.
On the other hand, the benefits you get far outweigh the extra price. This is especially true if you care about the way your rotors look. The important thing to remember is that the Brembo 09.5457.31 kit brings both performance and aesthetics upgrades. If you pair these rotors with a more aggressive set of pads, you’re looking at tangible performance upgrades, especially if you’re running a completely stock Civic.