Our Top Recommended Big Brake Upgrade Kits For Your Volkswagen Golf MK5
HiSpec have re-listed most of their Golf MK5 range under new HISC- part numbers with two piece floating discs, and the sticker price on several of them has come down. Worth knowing before you buy on price alone: the old listings they are replacing often included pads, brake fluid and braided hoses in the box, and the new ones do not. The disc got better. The box got smaller. We have flagged it on every pick where it applies.
Below are the kits we would actually fit, from the two brands we stock for big brakes: Tarox in northern Italy and HiSpec Motorsport in Dartford. The full Golf MK5 range is on the site if you want to browse it raw.
- HiSpec's new 2P listings have a better two piece disc, but pads and braided hoses are priced separately, even on tiers that used to include them
- Tarox split their Golf MK5 range by trim: standard, GTI and R32 each get their own listing
- Watch the prices here too: a smaller Tarox disc costs more than a bigger one in two separate places on this car
- Every Tarox minimum wheel size below was looked up from their own site; two of the six kits do not publish one at all
What is on this page
- The two brands
- What changed: new discs, smaller boxes
- Wheel sizes for every kit
- HiSpec 285mm Billet 4
- HiSpec 300mm and 310mm Billet 4
- Tarox 320mm 6 pot Sport, standard Golf
- HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 and Monster 6
- Tarox 360mm Grande Sport
- GTI and R32 get their own Tarox kits too
- What is in each box
- Every kit compared
- Common questions
- What we would actually fit
Two brands, two ways of covering the MK5
Both machine their own calipers from billet aluminium and build every kit for the specific car it is going on. On the Golf MK5 they differ in how far they split the range.
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. Every kit arrives complete: vehicle specific braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted. Six listings for the MK5, split by trim: standard, GTI and R32 each get their own.
HiSpec Motorsport
Machined in Dartford from 6082 T6 billet aluminium, calipers and pistons both. Made to order in up to 28 working days, with the caliper finished in your choice of black, red, blue, gold or silver. One listing per disc size covers the whole MK5 range regardless of trim.
What changed: new discs, smaller boxes
HiSpec have moved most of the Golf MK5 range onto new HISC- part numbers with two piece floating discs, up from the old one piece design. That is a genuine improvement: a floating disc handles heat better and resists distortion under repeated hard stops. What changed alongside it is what is in the box. The old 335mm Monster 4 kit included EBC Redstuff pads, Dot 5.1 brake fluid and two braided hoses as standard. The new HISC-100 equivalent, at a lower sticker price, states plainly that pads and braided hoses are not included and can be added at extra cost, the same line used across every HISC- listing regardless of tier.
Wheel sizes for every kit
HiSpec publish a minimum wheel size on every listing. Tarox do not print one for every kit, so every Tarox figure below was looked up from their own site for this guide, not assumed from the disc size. Two of the six Tarox kits do not publish a figure at all, and those are marked honestly, not guessed.
| Kit | Disc | Smallest wheel |
|---|---|---|
| HiSpec 285mm Billet 4 2P | 285 x 24mm | 15 inch |
| HiSpec 300mm Billet 4 2P | 300 x 28mm | 16 inch |
| HiSpec 310mm Billet 4 2P | 310 x 28mm | 16 inch |
| Tarox 320mm 6 pot Sport (standard) | 320mm | 17 inch |
| Tarox 312mm 6 pot Sport (standard) | 312mm | Not published, ask us |
| HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 / 6 2P | 335mm | 17 inch |
| Tarox 330mm 6 pot Sport (GTI) | 330mm | Not published, ask us |
| Tarox 345mm Super Sport (GTI) | 345 x 30mm | 17 inch |
| Tarox 360mm Grande Sport (R32, GTI) | 360mm | 18 inch |
HiSpec 285mm Billet 4: the way in
The smallest kit we would put on a Golf MK5, and the natural start point on 15 inch wheels. The Billet 4 is a four piston caliper machined from 6082 T6 billet aluminium, and this newer HISC- listing pairs it with a 285mm two piece floating disc, up from the older one piece design. Pads and braided hoses are priced separately, as they are on every Billet 4 kit in this guide, so budget for those alongside the headline price.
- £1,188.53 inc VAT
- Fits behind 15 inch wheels
- 285 x 24mm two piece floating disc
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately, five caliper colours
- Made to order in the UK, up to 28 working days
HiSpec 300mm and 310mm Billet 4: the 16 inch pair
Both fit behind a 16 inch wheel and sit about twenty pounds apart, so the choice comes down to how much of a step up you want from the entry kit. Same Billet 4 caliper, same two piece floating disc construction as the 285mm kit, just bigger. Garreth’s call: unless a specific wheel says otherwise, take the 310mm for the extra disc diameter. Pads and hoses are priced separately on both, same as the rest of the Billet 4 range.
- 300mm at £1,233.29, 310mm at £1,254.77, both inc VAT
- Both fit behind 16 inch wheels
- Two piece floating discs, 28mm thick
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately
- Five caliper colours, made to order in the UK, up to 28 working days
Tarox 320mm 6 pot Sport: the complete kit, standard Golf
Tarox’s kit for the standard, non-GTI, non-R32 Golf MK5, and the one we would take of the two they list. There is a smaller 312mm kit too, and normally the smaller disc would be the cheaper one. Not here: the 312mm runs to £2,010.00 inc VAT, more than this 320mm kit at £2,000.89, and Tarox do not publish a minimum wheel size for the 312mm at all, so we would confirm that one with you before ordering. The 320mm kit arrives complete: braided hoses and Corsa pads already fitted, minimum wheel a confirmed 17 inch.
- £2,000.89 inc VAT, complete, cheaper than the smaller 312mm Tarox kit
- Standard Golf MK5 only, not GTI or R32
- Fits behind 17 inch wheels
- Corsa pads and braided hoses included and fitted
- 6 piston caliper, hand assembled in Italy
HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 and Monster 6: the 17 inch step up
This is the pair most affected by the new-listing change above. Both are the newer HISC- two piece floating discs, and both price pads and braided hoses separately, unlike the old-style Monster kits elsewhere in the range that included them. Add roughly £120 to £150 for a set of pads and hoses before comparing this against an older Monster listing on price. The Monster 6 gives up to 63 per cent more piston area than the Monster 4 for the same pad size, worth the extra outlay on a car doing regular track days.
- Monster 4 at £1,534.62, Monster 6 at £1,671.90, both inc VAT, both pads and hoses extra
- Both fit behind 17 inch wheels
- 335mm two piece floating disc, 28mm thick
- Pads and braided hoses priced separately on both
- Five caliper colours, made to order in the UK, up to 28 working days
Tarox 360mm Grande Sport: the flagship
The biggest kit Tarox build for the MK5, and it is listed twice over at an identical price and spec, once for the R32 and once for the GTI. Ten pistons, a 360mm two piece floating disc balanced to 0.05mm at the factory, complete with pads and hoses fitted. Minimum wheel is 18 inch. Whichever badge is on the back of your car, buy under that listing and you get the same physical kit.
- £3,210.00 inc VAT, complete, the priciest kit on this page
- Listed for both R32 MK5 and GTI MK5, same kit either way
- Requires 18 inch wheels
- 10 piston caliper, hand assembled in Italy
- 360mm two piece floating disc, balanced to 0.05mm
GTI and R32 get their own Tarox kits too
Below the 360mm flagship, Tarox list two more kits exclusively for the GTI: a 330mm 6 pot Sport and a 345mm kit titled “10pot”. The title is wrong, the kit contents and the caliper spec both say 8 pistons, the same B34GT caliper used elsewhere in the range under its correct name. One more pricing quirk while we are here: the 345mm kit at £2,190.00 costs less than the smaller 330mm kit at £2,280.00, despite the bigger disc and more pistons. Tarox do not publish a minimum wheel for the 330mm; the 345mm is a confirmed 17 inch.
What is actually in each box
Tarox include pads, braided hoses and brackets on every kit, fitted at the factory. HiSpec’s older Golf MK5 listings did the same on the Monster tier, EBC Redstuff pads and braided hoses included. The newer HISC- listings, Billet 4 and Monster alike, price pads and hoses separately across the board. The disc construction improved with the switch to HISC-, the box did not travel with it, so check what is actually included before comparing two HiSpec listings on price.
| In the box | HiSpec (HISC- 2P, this guide) | Tarox |
|---|---|---|
| Calipers | Billet 4, Monster 4 or Monster 6, 6082 T6 billet aluminium | Billet alloy, hand assembled |
| Discs | Two piece floating, up from one piece on the older listings | Two piece floating, balanced to 0.05mm |
| Brackets and hardware | Included | Included |
| Braided hoses | Priced separately | Included |
| Pads | Priced separately | Corsa pads, fitted |
| Caliper finish | Black, red, blue, gold or silver | Black, red, blue, green or gold anodised |
| Built in | Dartford, UK, up to 28 working days | Northern Italy |
Every kit on this page compared
| Kit | Disc | Fits | Smallest wheel | Pads / hoses | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HiSpec 285 Billet 4 | 285mm, 2P | All MK5 | 15in | Extra | £1,188.53 |
| HiSpec 300 Billet 4 | 300mm, 2P | All MK5 | 16in | Extra | £1,233.29 |
| HiSpec 310 Billet 4 | 310mm, 2P | All MK5 | 16in | Extra | £1,254.77 |
| Tarox 320 6 pot Sport | 320mm, 2P | Standard | 17in | Included | £2,000.89 |
| HiSpec 335 Monster 4 | 335mm, 2P | All MK5 | 17in | Extra | £1,534.62 |
| HiSpec 335 Monster 6 | 335mm, 2P | All MK5 | 17in | Extra | £1,671.90 |
| Tarox 330 6 pot Sport | 330mm, 2P | GTI | Ask us | Included | £2,280.00 |
| Tarox 345 Super Sport | 345mm, 2P | GTI | 17in | Included | £2,190.00 |
| Tarox 360 Grande Sport | 360mm, 2P | R32, GTI | 18in | Included | £3,210.00 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 15 August 2026. Tarox minimum wheel sizes looked up from their own product pages per kit.
Common questions
Why is the new HiSpec kit cheaper if it is not actually a better deal?
The disc is genuinely better, a two piece floating design instead of one piece. What changed alongside it is that pads and braided hoses moved from included to optional on every new HISC- listing. Add those before comparing the price against an older listing, and the gap narrows or disappears.
Does one HiSpec kit really cover the standard Golf, the GTI and the R32?
Yes, HiSpec list one kit per disc size across the whole MK5 range regardless of trim. Tarox do it differently and split by trim, so if you want a Tarox kit, buy under the listing that matches your car.
Which Tarox kit fits my car?
Standard Golf MK5: the 312mm or 320mm Sport kits. GTI: the 330mm Sport, 345mm Super Sport or the 360mm Grande Sport, which is also listed under the R32 name. R32: the 360mm Grande Sport. If you are not sure which trim you have, ring us with the registration and we will confirm before you order.
Why does the smaller kit sometimes cost more?
It happens twice on this car: the standard-Golf 312mm Tarox kit costs more than the bigger 320mm, and the GTI 345mm kit costs less than the smaller 330mm. We flag both plainly instead of quietly steering you toward the dearer option. Check the compare table and take the cheaper kit if both suit your wheels.
How long before it arrives?
HiSpec kits are made to order in Dartford, 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.
What we would actually fit
On 15 or 16 inch wheels, the HiSpec Billet 4 range, 285mm to 310mm, budgeting separately for pads and hoses on all of them. On 17s for a standard Golf, the Tarox 320mm Sport over the smaller 312mm every time, it is both bigger and cheaper. For a GTI on 17s, the HiSpec 335mm Monster 4 is the value pick once you have added pads and hoses to make it a fair fight against the Tarox 345mm Super Sport, which comes with everything already fitted. On 18 inch wheels, the Tarox 360mm Grande Sport is our flagship recommendation for either the R32 or the GTI.
Ring us on 0115 9893488 with your trim, your wheel size, and whether you have priced pads and hoses into a HiSpec quote. Working out the true finished cost is Cameron’s corner of the business, so give him five minutes and you will get a straight answer.