Endless Brake Pads for GC8 / GF8 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2-Pot and 2.5 RS to June 1998
Endless’s Brake Pads for GC8 / GF8 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 2-Pot and 2.5 RS to June 1998 join two cars that rarely share a page: Japanese-market WRX STi Version III and IV cars built with two-piston front calipers, and the US 2.5 RS coupe built up to June 1998. Endless lists the same pair of shapes for both, EP348 at the front and EP223 at the rear. Version III went on sale in September 1996, and Version IV ran until August 1998. The Racing Group on this listing includes N35S, Endless’s flagship rally compound. For a road-driven RS, SSS or MX72 is the pick; an STi on gravel stages belongs on the Racing Group.
Features
- Endless pad shapes EP348 front and EP223 rear
- Street compounds SSS, SSM Plus, MX72 and CC-Rg, offered front and rear
- Racing Group and W003 Group, each sold for either axle
- SSM Plus Front and Rear Set at the Endless combo-set price
Choosing a Compound
Every compound here is sold for both axles, so the front and rear can match. An RS used on the road suits SSS, or SSM Plus for the lowest noise, and MX72 suits back roads, autocross and the occasional track day. CC-Rg suits a car that sees regular circuit use. The Racing Group covers rally and circuit work, with N35S as the compound Endless suggests for a first racing pad, and the W003 Group suits a dedicated race car, since Endless does not recommend W003 for the street.
Every figure below is Endless’s own. Friction is the compound’s average friction coefficient, so a higher number gives more bite for the same pedal pressure. The rotor range is the band of rotor temperatures Endless designs the compound to work in, so choose by the temperatures your car will see.
Street and street-to-track compounds
- SSS (street): non-asbestos; friction 0.38-0.45; rotor range 0-480C (32-896F). Low wear, long rotor life, a strong initial response and exceptionally low dust, built for road and highway driving.
- SSM Plus (street): non-asbestos; friction 0.33-0.40; rotor range 0-550C (32-1022F). Low dust, low noise and long life. Braking builds with pedal pressure rather than a sharp first bite, for drivers who want clean wheels and a quiet car.
- MX72 (street to light track): ceramic carbon metal; friction 0.37-0.47; rotor range 50-700C (122-1292F). Minimal noise and dust, strong friction at low temperatures, reduced rotor wear and a better pedal feel than a typical semi-metallic pad. Endless’s dual-duty compound for a road car that sees the occasional track day.
- CC-Rg (track day, street capable): ceramic carbon metal; friction 0.38-0.45; rotor range 50-800C (122-1472F). High initial bite across a wide temperature range, even when cold, and modulation that works with the factory ABS under hard use. Endless notes it is noisy on the street; it is the step up from MX72 Plus for regular track days.
Racing compounds
Each option below is one choice in the Choose Compound menu. For a group, name your compound in the order notes and Bulletproof Automotive confirms it with your order. Every racing compound needs Endless’s bedding procedure: at 70 to 80 percent of normal pedal effort, bring the rotors gradually to 400C (752F), then let them cool below 150C (302F) before hard use.
Racing Group
- ME22: dual braking style; friction 0.33-0.38; rotor range 150-800C (302-1472F). Developed from ME20 with lower friction for control, for light to mid-weight cars or heavier cars on slower circuits. Endless rates it for street and track.
- ME20: trail-braking style; rotor range 150-800C (302-1472F). High, stable friction at high temperature with low wear, developed for touring cars and rally. Works front or rear, with stock or racing ABS.
- N35S: trail-braking style; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). Quick, sharp and responsive, with stable modulation under high temperature and load. Endless’s flagship rally compound, also run in FIA GT, and its suggested starting point for drivers new to Endless racing pads.
- N05U: trail-braking style; friction 0.46-0.53; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). More bite than N35S, popular in sprint-focused Porsche Cup cars.
- N05S: trail-braking style; friction 0.45-0.53; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). Immediate high friction with little pedal effort, used in Japanese rally cars without brake boosters and in European and Australian sprint racing.
- N30C: friction 0.50-0.60; rotor range 300-800C (572-1472F). High initial bite, gentle on rotors and low wear. A rally compound for cars without a brake booster.
- S55G: Endless publishes no figures. It suits lightweight and front-wheel-drive cars, and the rear of front-wheel-drive cars, with high controllability.
- PC35: Endless publishes no figures. More bite than N35S with high braking force and a stable pedal; Endless’s base pad for rally raid.
W003 Group
- W003: trail-braking style; friction 0.40-0.45. Similar in character to N35S with better wear, tough and stable at high temperature with a linear torque curve; run in rally, touring cars, ALMS and PWC. Circuit only: Endless does not recommend it for the street and notes high rotor wear when cold.
- S330: trail-braking style; friction 0.60-0.70; rotor range 300-850C (572-1562F). High friction for sprint racing, with good control at high levels and without accelerating rotor wear; run in Super GT, stock cars and GT2 and GT3 sprint racing.
Applications
- Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS: GM | 1998 | 2.5L
- Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version III: GC8 / GF8 | 1996-1997
- Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version IV: GC8 / GF8 | 1997-1998
Notes
- Each Front or Rear set of Brake Pads for GC8 STi and early 2.5 RS cars covers both wheels on one axle
- In SSM Plus, the Front and Rear Set is an Endless combo set, priced below the two axles bought separately
- For STi Version III and IV cars with two-piston front calipers. An STi with four-piston front calipers takes EP351 at the front.
- For a 2.5 RS built to June 1998. An RS built from July 1998 takes EP355 at the rear.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do the Endless Brake Pads for GC8 STi cars fit an STi with four-piston calipers? No. These Endless Brake Pads for GC8 STi cars are for Version III and IV cars that Endless lists with two-piston front calipers. An STi of the same era with four-piston front calipers takes EP351 at the front, with EP223 or EP231 at the rear depending on the version and rear caliper. Count the pistons or check the caliper before ordering.
- How do I know which rear pad my 1998 2.5 RS needs? Check the build date on the label in the driver door jamb. Endless lists EP223 at the rear for an RS built up to June 1998, which is this listing, and EP355 for an RS built from July 1998. Both use EP348 at the front, so only the rear set differs between the two.
- Which compound suits a GC8 STi on a rally stage? The Racing Group. It includes N35S, the flagship rally compound Endless also runs in FIA GT and suggests as a first racing pad, along with N05S and N30C, which Endless designs for rally cars without a brake booster. Name the compound you want in the order notes and Bulletproof Automotive confirms it with the order.
- What should a road-driven 2.5 RS run? SSS suits most road use, with low wear, long rotor life and exceptionally low dust. SSM Plus is quieter, with braking that builds with pedal pressure. An RS that also autocrosses or does the odd track day suits MX72, which Endless gives strong friction at low temperatures and a rotor range up to 700C, or 1292F.
- Which compounds come as a cheaper Front and Rear Set here? Only SSM Plus. Endless sells EP348 and EP223 together in SSM Plus as a combo set priced below the two axles bought separately. In SSS, MX72, CC-Rg and the two racing groups, the Front and Rear Set costs the same as a Front set plus a Rear set, so it is there for convenience.
About Endless
Endless is a Japanese brake manufacturer that designs everything in-house and manufactures domestically in Japan, holding surface accuracy to 1/1000mm under strict quality control. The company developed its own laminated sintered wire-mesh backing plate and ceramic carbon rotors, and it proves its parts in competition, running its own factory motorsport program and supplying winning teams across Japanese and European racing. From pads and slit rotors to forged and monobloc calipers, brake fluid, and lines, Endless builds braking systems trusted on both street and circuit.
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