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Our Top Recommended Big Brake Upgrade Kits For Your BMW E46
Most big brake guides come down to how big a disc you can get behind your wheels. The E46 is the car where that is only half the question, because four of the kits we stock for it come in pairs that are the same diameter, the same caliper and the same price, and differ only in how thick the disc is. Nobody explains that on a product page, so we will explain it here.
The other thing worth knowing before you scroll: the E46 is one of the few cars in the range where Tarox list a rear kit as well as a front one, at the same price. If you have ever wanted to do both ends properly, this is the car for it. Everything below comes from the three brands we stock for big brakes on the E46: Tarox and Brembo in northern Italy and HiSpec Motorsport in Dartford, and the full E46 range is on the site if you want to browse it raw.
- Four of the HiSpec kits come as 28mm and 32mm disc pairs at identical prices
- Tarox list a 345mm rear kit as well as the 345mm front, both at the same price
- The HiSpec 2P kits are listed for the E36 and E46 M3 together; the Monster 4 and 6 kits are listed E46
- Tarox arrive with braided hoses and Corsa pads fitted; HiSpec price theirs separately so you choose the compound
- Brembo kits for this car start at £2,043.20 inc VAT (standard E46) up to £8,906.26 for the M3 GT-R flagship; all made to order in Italy in six to eight weeks
What is on this page
- Three brands
- Wheel sizes: real numbers
- 28mm or 32mm: the disc thickness question
- HiSpec 360mm Monster 4
- HiSpec 335mm Monster 6 2P
- HiSpec 360mm Monster 6 2P
- HiSpec 360mm Monster 6
- Tarox 345mm Super Sport
- Brembo: standard E46 and M3
- The rear kit
- What is in each box
- Every kit compared
- Common questions
- What we would actually fit
Three brands for E46 big brakes
Both machine their own calipers from billet aluminium and build every kit for the specific car it is going on. Where they differ is what goes in the box and how it is priced.
Tarox
Built at the factory in northern Italy. Calipers are CNC machined from European billet alloy and hand assembled, discs are heat treated and hand balanced to 0.05mm. The E46 gets a 345mm Super Sport at the front and a 345mm kit for the rear, and both arrive complete with vehicle specific braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted. Tarox state full compatibility with ABS and ESP.
HiSpec Motorsport
Machined in Dartford from 6082 T6 billet aluminium, calipers and pistons both. Six E46 kits across the Monster 4 and Monster 6 families, four of them two piece with a choice of disc thickness. Made to order in up to 28 working days, calipers in black, red, blue, gold or silver. Pads and braided hoses are priced separately so you pick the compound.
Brembo
Made to order at the factory in Italy. Caliper families run from the GT-A two-piece entry through GT-M monobloc and GT-S billet to the GT-R billet flagship. Discs are cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted at the same price and caliper colour is a free option. Kits for the standard E46 start at £2,043.20 inc VAT; the M3 GT-R 380mm flagship is £8,906.26. Six to eight weeks from order.
Wheel sizes: real numbers for every kit
Minimum wheel diameter is a property of the kit and not of the car: a disc is a disc and a caliper is a caliper, so a figure published against one car holds for every car that kit is listed against. The Tarox figures below were looked up from their own product pages for these exact kits. Brembo publish A, B and C dimension drawings for each kit, not a single minimum wheel size, and those drawings are on each product page. The only check that stays a conversation is depth, because a wheel of the right diameter can still foul a caliper at the spokes. Give Cameron the make and model of the wheel alongside the size and he will confirm before anything goes to build.
| Kit | Disc | Smallest wheel |
|---|---|---|
| HiSpec 335mm Monster 6 2P | 335 x 28mm or 32mm | 17 inch |
| HiSpec 360mm Monster 4 | 360mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec 360mm Monster 6 2P | 360 x 28mm or 32mm | 18 inch |
| HiSpec 360mm Monster 6 | 360mm | 18 inch |
| Tarox 345mm Super Sport front | 345mm | 18 inch |
| Tarox 345mm rear | 345mm | 18 inch |
| Brembo GT-A 320mm front (standard) | 320mm | See A/B/C drawing on product page |
| Brembo GT-A/GT-S/GT-R 355mm front | 355mm | See A/B/C drawing on product page |
| Brembo GT-S/GT-R 380mm front (M3) | 380mm | See A/B/C drawing on product page |
28mm or 32mm: the disc thickness question
Four of the HiSpec kits on this page come as pairs. Same disc diameter, same Monster 6 caliper, same price to the penny, and the only difference is whether the disc is 28mm or 32mm thick. It is the question we get asked most often on this car and the least often explained anywhere else.
The short version: a thicker disc holds more heat before it starts to fade, and it takes longer to cool between stops. For a car doing repeated hard laps, 32mm is the one you want. For a fast road car that sees the occasional track evening, 28mm is lighter, cheaper to replace when the time comes, and perfectly capable. The caliper is built to suit the thickness, so the two are not interchangeable later: pick the one that matches how the car actually gets used, not the one that sounds tougher.
HiSpec 360mm Monster 4: the entry point
The cheapest kit on this page and a lot of brake for the money. The Monster caliper runs a longer pad and higher temperature seals than the Billet 4 that sits below it in the HiSpec range, and at 360mm the disc is as big as anything else here. Four pistons instead of six keeps the price down and is plenty for a road car that is driven properly.
Minimum wheel is 18 inch. Pads and braided hoses are priced separately, which keeps the entry number down and lets you pick the compound to suit the car.
- £1,635.00 inc VAT
- Needs 18 inch wheels
- 360mm disc, four piston Monster caliper
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
- Five caliper colours, made to order in the UK, up to 28 working days
HiSpec 335mm Monster 6 2P: the 17 inch answer, in two thicknesses
This is the kit for an E46 still on 17 inch wheels, and the first of the two thickness pairs. Six pistons in a two piece floating disc setup, at 335mm, in either 28mm or 32mm. Both are £1,671.90, so the choice really is only about how the car is used.
The two piece floating construction matters as much as the piston count here. A floating disc handles the expansion and contraction of repeated heat cycles better than a one piece disc does, so there is less distortion and a pedal that stays where you left it. Listed for the E36 and E46 M3 together.
- £1,671.90 inc VAT, whichever thickness you pick
- Fits behind 17 inch wheels
- 335mm two piece floating disc in 28mm or 32mm
- Six piston Monster 6 caliper
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
HiSpec 360mm Monster 6 2P: the same kit, one size up
Everything the 335mm pair gives you, with 25mm more disc and an 18 inch wheel needed to clear it. Again in 28mm and 32mm, again at the same price as each other, £1,854.30. If your car is on 18s already and the budget stretches, this is the better buy of the two pairs: more disc means more leverage and more surface area to shed heat into.
Garreth’s take on the step from 335mm to 360mm: it is a hundred and eighty pounds for a genuinely bigger brake, and on a car that gets driven hard it is money better spent than most of the things people bolt to an E46.
- £1,854.30 inc VAT, whichever thickness you pick
- Needs 18 inch wheels
- 360mm two piece floating disc in 28mm or 32mm
- Six piston Monster 6 caliper
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
HiSpec 360mm Monster 6: the E46 listed version
Worth knowing this one exists, because it looks almost identical to the pair above on paper. Same 360mm disc, same six piston Monster caliper, £1,863.00, and the difference is that this is the older listing written against the E46 rather than the E36 and E46 M3 2P entries. It is about nine pounds dearer than the 2P kits.
If you are choosing between this and the 360mm 2P pair, take the 2P and the thickness that suits your driving. We list this one because it is in stock and because some customers specifically want it, but at nine pounds less for the two piece option the newer entries are the better buy.
- £1,863.00 inc VAT
- Needs 18 inch wheels
- 360mm disc, six piston Monster caliper
- Listed against the E46, not the E36 and E46 M3 2P entries
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
Tarox 345mm Super Sport: the complete kit in one box
The complete option, and the only one on this page that needs nothing else ordering alongside it. The 345mm two piece floating disc is balanced to 0.05mm at the factory, the caliper is hand assembled billet alloy, and the kit arrives with vehicle specific braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted. Minimum wheel is 18 inch, looked up from Tarox for this exact kit.
One note on the listing, because we would sooner say it than have you counting pistons when it arrives. The title says 10pot. That was the older caliper design. The current B34GT runs eight sequential pistons and eight is what turns up. Sequential sizing is the point of it: the pistons are graded along the pad so it wears evenly and the pedal stays consistent as heat builds.
- £2,525.00 inc VAT, complete
- Needs 18 inch wheels
- Corsa pads and braided hoses included and fitted
- 8 sequential pistons despite the 10pot in the title
- 345mm two piece floating disc, balanced to 0.05mm
Brembo: standard E46 kits and the M3 range
Brembo make big brake kits for every E46 variant and the range is wider than most people expect. The entry point for a standard 323i, 325i or 328i is the GT-A 320mm front at £2,043.20 inc VAT. That is a smaller disc than the Tarox Super Sport on this page, but it is a proper Brembo two-piece kit with a four-piston caliper, and it fits many standard E46 wheel setups without requiring bigger wheels first.
Go up through the range and the choice is between caliper families as much as disc sizes. The GT-A is the two-piece entry, the easiest to fit. GT-M is monobloc. GT-S and GT-R are billet at the top of the road-legal Brembo range. For an M3 there are 355mm and 380mm front options across the GT-S and GT-R families. The GT-S 380mm at £4,767.47 is where Garreth would start the M3 Brembo conversation. The GT-R at £8,906.26 is the billet flagship, and the gap between the two is genuinely large.
Cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted discs cost the same. Caliper colour is a free option set on the order.
- Starts at £2,043.20 inc VAT (GT-A 320mm front, standard 323i/325i/328i)
- M3 GT-R 380mm flagship at £8,906.26 inc VAT
- Cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted at the same price; caliper colour a free option
- Wheel clearance: A, B and C dimension drawing on each product page, not a published minimum size
- Made to order in Italy, six to eight weeks from order
The rear kit, which is rarer than it sounds
Almost every kit in this series is a front conversion, because the front axle does the bulk of the stopping and it is the right place to spend first. The E46 is one of the few cars where Tarox also list a rear kit, at 345mm and at the same £2,525.00 as the front. It is listed for all E46 models including the M3 and the CSL.
If you are considering it, do it as a pair and do it in one conversation with us. Changing the front alone shifts the brake balance forwards, which is usually what you want. Changing the rear alone shifts it backwards, which usually is not. Ring us and we will spec the pair together so the bias ends up where it should be.
What is actually in each box
The headline gap between HiSpec and Tarox closes once both are specced to the same level. HiSpec price their kits without pads or braided hoses, so you add those separately and choose the compound. Tarox include both, with the pads already fitted. Compare the finished builds, not the entry prices.
| In the box | HiSpec | Tarox | Brembo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calipers | Monster 4 or Monster 6, 6082 T6 billet aluminium | Billet alloy, hand assembled, 8 sequential pistons | GT-A, GT-M, GT-S or GT-R depending on kit |
| Discs | Two piece floating on the 2P kits, in 28mm or 32mm | Two piece floating, balanced to 0.05mm | Cross-drilled or Type 3 slotted, same price |
| Brackets and hardware | Included | Included | Included |
| Braided hoses | Priced separately | Included | Included |
| Pads | Priced separately, your choice of compound | Corsa pads, fitted | Included |
| Caliper colour | Black, red, blue, gold or silver | Black, red, blue, green or gold anodised | Free option, set on the order |
| Built in | Dartford, UK, up to 28 working days | Northern Italy | Italy, six to eight weeks to order |
| Wheel clearance | Published minimum in inches | Published minimum from Tarox per kit | A, B and C drawing on the product page |
Every kit on this page compared
| Kit | Disc | Caliper | Smallest wheel | Pads and hoses | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiSpec Monster 4 | 360mm | 4 piston | 18in | Extra | £1,635.00 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 2P | 335 x 28mm | 6 piston | 17in | Extra | £1,671.90 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 2P | 335 x 32mm | 6 piston | 17in | Extra | £1,671.90 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 2P | 360 x 28mm | 6 piston | 18in | Extra | £1,854.30 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 2P | 360 x 32mm | 6 piston | 18in | Extra | £1,854.30 |
| HiSpec Monster 6 | 360mm | 6 piston | 18in | Extra | £1,863.00 |
| Tarox Super Sport front | 345mm, 2P | 8 piston | 18in | Included | £2,525.00 |
| Tarox rear | 345mm, 2P | 8 piston | 18in | Included | £2,525.00 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 22 August 2026. Tarox minimum wheel sizes were looked up from their own product pages per kit.
Common questions
28mm or 32mm disc, which do I need?
32mm if the car does track days regularly. The extra material holds more heat before the brakes start to fade and takes longer to cool between stops, which is exactly what you want late in a session. 28mm if it is a fast road car with the occasional circuit day: it is lighter and the discs are cheaper to replace. Both cost the same to buy, so the decision is genuinely about how the car is used. The caliper is built to suit the thickness, so you cannot swap between them later.
Will the M3 kits fit a non-M3 E46?
The HiSpec 2P kits are listed for the E36 and E46 M3 together, and the Monster 4 and Monster 6 kits are listed against the E46. That is not the same thing as a promise about your particular car, so tell us the model and the year and we will confirm the fitment with HiSpec before anything is built. These are made to order kits and a wrong bracket is four weeks you do not get back.
Should I do the rear as well?
Only as a considered decision, and ideally in the same order. The front axle does the bulk of the stopping, so a front kit on its own is the normal upgrade and it shifts the balance forwards, which is what most people want. Adding the rear brings that back. If you want both, order them together and tell us, and we will make sure the pairing is sensible before anything ships.
Why are pads and hoses extra on the HiSpec kits?
HiSpec price the hardware bare so you choose the compound to match how the car is used: a softer road pad for a daily driver, something more aggressive for track evenings. Both pads and braided hoses can be added at the same time. We will quote the finished build level so you can compare it properly against the Tarox kits, which include both as standard.
How long before it arrives?
HiSpec kits are made to order in Dartford, so allow up to 28 working days. Tarox kits are built for the specific car at the factory in Italy and lead times vary through the year, so ask when you place the order and we will give you the current picture. None of the three brands keeps finished E46 kits on a shelf.
What Brembo kits fit the E46 and how long do they take?
Brembo list kits for every E46 variant from the standard 323i to the M3. The entry for a standard car is the GT-A 320mm front at £2,043.20 inc VAT, which starts below the Tarox on this page. For an M3, the range runs from GT-A up to GT-R across 355mm and 380mm front options, with rear kits available too. Everything is made to order in Italy: six to eight weeks is the lead time to plan around. Call us on 0115 9893488 with your model and year and we will confirm the kits and check the wheel clearance before anything is ordered.
What we would actually fit
On an E46 still on 17 inch wheels, the 335mm Monster 6 2P at £1,671.90, in 28mm for a road car and 32mm if it sees the circuit. On 18s, the 360mm Monster 6 2P at £1,854.30 is the one Garreth would put his own money on, because it is the biggest disc in the HiSpec range for this car, the two piece construction is the right one, and it undercuts the older 360mm listing by nine pounds. The 360mm Monster 4 at £1,635.00 is the value pick if six pistons are more than the car needs.
If you want one box with the pads and hoses already in it, the Tarox 345mm Super Sport, and if you are set on doing both ends there is a matching rear kit at the same price. If Brembo is the direction, the GT-A 320mm at £2,043.20 is the entry and it undercuts the Tarox on price. For an M3 with real track use, Garreth would start the Brembo conversation at the GT-S 380mm at £4,767.47: the jump to the GT-R flagship at £8,906.26 is large, and the GT-S is already a serious kit. Both need six to eight weeks to plan around. Ring us on 0115 9893488 with your model, your year and your wheel size. Working out what clears and what fouls is Cameron’s corner of the business, so have the wheel make and model handy and you will get a straight answer.