Why a Renault caliper ends up on a Honda NSX

Look closely at the caliper on this kit and you will find the word RENAULT cast into the side of it. That is not a mistake, and it is not something we sand off. It is the whole reason the kit exists at this price, and as it turns out, the reason it fits cars a standard F50 kit will not.

The casting says RENAULT

The Brembo F50 is a four piston monobloc caliper that Brembo supplied as original equipment to a long list of manufacturers. Renault was one of them, and it went onto the Megane RS. That makes the Megane RS one of the better donor cars anywhere for a genuine Brembo caliper, because the supply is real, the parts are traceable, and nobody is pretending a replica is the same thing.

These calipers come off those cars, get rebuilt, and end up on something entirely different. The casting mark stays where it is. Grinding it away would be lying about what you are buying, and the mark is the proof the caliper is genuine.

Not all F50 calipers are the same

This is the part people miss. The Renault version is not simply an F50 with a different badge on it.

It takes the same brake pad as a standard F50, so your pad options and your running costs do not change. What changes is everything around the pad.

The pistons are larger. More piston area means more force pushing on the same pad for the same pressure in the line. You are not pressing the pedal harder, the caliper is simply doing more with what you give it.

The body is smaller. The casting is more compact than a standard F50, which matters in the one place brake upgrades usually go wrong: the space between the disc and the inside of your wheel.

Why that suits an NSX and an S2000

Both cars are tight behind the front wheel. Ask anyone who has tried to put a big brake kit on an NSX and they will tell you the same story, that the kit arrived, the caliper fouled the spokes, and the choice became new wheels or no brakes.

A smaller caliper body changes that arithmetic. It clears wheels a bulkier caliper will not, which means a larger share of owners can keep the wheels already on the car. On a car where the wheels are often a deliberate choice rather than an afterthought, that is not a minor detail.

So the trade usually attached to a big brake upgrade, more stopping power in exchange for new wheels, is not the trade here. You get the larger piston area and the more compact body at the same time.

It still pays to check. Clearance comes down to spoke profile rather than diameter alone, and two wheels the same size can give different answers. Send us your wheel model, size and offset and we will confirm before you order.

What the F50 platform gives you

Four pistons spread clamping force across a bigger pad than a sliding factory caliper can manage. On a cold first stop you may not notice much. The difference shows up once heat is in the system, because a sliding caliper starts giving back pedal travel after repeated hard braking and a four piston monobloc holds its feel for longer.

If you want the platform explained properly, including which kit suits which chassis, read the Brembo F50 big brake kit guide.

Rebuilt, not cleaned up

A used caliper with fresh paint on it is still a used caliper. Seals go hard, bores pick up corrosion, and the first properly hot stop is where you find out.

Every caliper in this kit is stripped to nothing first. Pistons come out and are refinished inside and out, the internal fluid passages are cleaned through, every seal is replaced, and the body is refinished last. What lands on your doorstep has been taken apart and put back together, not wiped down.

What is in the kit

• Two rebuilt Brembo F50 calipers
• 330mm two piece slotted discs on alloy hats
• Braided brake lines
• Mounting brackets, bolts and hardware

The brackets matter more than people expect. They are the parts that let a caliper designed around a French hub carrier sit correctly over a Honda disc, at the right radius and the right offset. Without the right bracket the caliper is an ornament.

Which cars it fits

Honda NSX NA1 and NA2, and Honda S2000 AP1 and AP2, on the front axle. One kit covers both chassis families because the bracket set does the adapting. You can see the full listing on the NSX and S2000 F50 kit page.

Colour and lead time

Because the calipers are refinished as part of the rebuild anyway, the colour is yours to choose at no extra cost. Say what you want and we confirm it before the build starts.

Each kit is built to order and takes around 60 days from order to dispatch. Made to order items are treated as pre orders under our terms, so pick your colour and pad compound with that in mind.

Common questions

How is the Renault F50 caliper different from a standard F50?

It takes the same brake pad, so pad choice and running costs are unchanged. The pistons have more area, which produces more clamping force for the same line pressure, and the caliper body is more compact, which improves the odds of clearing your existing wheels.

Will it clear my wheels?

The more compact body clears wheels that a bulkier F50 will not, but spoke profile decides it rather than diameter alone. Email your wheel model, size and offset to sales@dream-performance.com and we will check before you buy.

Are these genuine Brembo calipers?

Yes. They are original equipment Brembo F50 calipers fitted to the Renault Megane RS from the factory, removed and rebuilt. They are not replicas or castings made to look like Brembo parts.

Is a second hand caliper safe on a road car?

These are rebuilt rather than resold. Pistons, seals and internal passages are all redone before the caliper ships. Fitting still needs a qualified workshop, a proper bleed, and pad bedding before hard use.

Will this kit fit my NSX or S2000?

It covers Honda NSX NA1 and NA2 and Honda S2000 AP1 and AP2 on the front axle. The bracket set for your chassis is included.

Can I choose the caliper colour?

Any colour, at no extra cost. The calipers are refinished during the rebuild, so colour is part of the build rather than an add on. We confirm your choice before work starts.

How long does it take?

Around 60 days from order to dispatch, because each kit is built to order rather than pulled off a shelf.

Which brake pads should I run?

Ephone RS Performance covers 0 to 650 degrees and suits street and occasional track use. Ephone RS Racing covers 0 to 800 degrees for sustained track work. You can also take the kit without pads and run your own.

Do I pay import duties?

No. A Melbourne based business, shipping worldwide, with import duties and taxes covered by us.