Check out this neat little mod you can bolt on to your Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, or Scion FR-S. It’s an air duct that rides on the lower control arms, routing fast-moving air toward the front discs and calipers to cool them off. This looks like a great aftermarket solution for squeezing a little more life out of Toyobaru brakes that see on-track action without requiring you to cut anything.
I’ve seen people make stuff like this out of dryer hoses, but I can’t say I’ve seen a well-made, bolt-on duct that goes directly onto a car’s control arm like A’PEXi’s N1 Brake Duct here.
Brake heat management is an unsexy but critical aspect of car tuning. Flushing your stock brake fluid out for fresh high-performance stuff is one of the first “mods” you should do to any sports car, and consider it mandatory if you’re going to the track. From there, the next step would be stainless lines (to resist expansion), and of course, bigger brakes. Or, since big brake kits are rarely cheap, some kind of aero system like this.
What I like about A’PEXi’s brake shroud is that, if it’s effective at all, it gets you something for nothing—it can’t possibly weigh much, and won’t be visible outside the car. But that little bit of extra airflow could go a long way to cooling the brakes as you power down a straight.
A’PEXi is a big, longstanding brand in Japanese car tuning and racing; I’ve run its exhausts on a couple of my own cars. I sent a message to the company’s sales team asking how the brake duct came about and what to expect on effectiveness, and while I don’t have a “with vs. without” heat graph, I did get some interesting context on the part’s development from Takuya TK Akiyama. Here’s what he shared with me:
“This product was developed through our direct involvement in the GR86/BRZ Cup in Japan, where professional drivers Takuto Iguchi and Rintaro Kubo campaign their Tokyo Subaru BRZ and Chiba Subaru BRZ, both fully equipped with a suite of A’PEXi components. These include the A’PEXi N1-X Exhaust System, Exhaust Manifold with Super Catalyzer Kit, N1-X Dampers (coilovers), and reinforced Carbon Strut Tower Bar and Ti Toe Cowl Brace (V-Bar).
Within the limitations of the cup series regulations, we sought solutions that could deliver genuine performance gains without extensive modification. Drawing inspiration from our past JGTC (Super GT) race machines, where brake cooling duct systems were crucial for sustaining optimal braking performance under extreme loads. We engineered a street-friendly, motorsport-derived solution.
Unlike traditional tubing-style ducting seen on vehicles such as Porsches, our N1 Brake Air Shroud Kit offers a bolt-on, OE+ design with no need for cutting or altering factory panels, bumpers, or suspension components. The system consists of a lower duct that channels airflow from the vehicle’s forward motion into an upper duct, effectively directing cool air toward the brake rotors.
While the effectiveness will vary depending on brake compound and rotor type, our data has shown noticeable improvements in braking stability, shorter braking distances, and enhanced trail braking capability, all contributing to faster cornering transitions. This development is a culmination of our motorsports expertise in JGTC, Super Taikyu, and D1GP, brought to the street and track enthusiast.”
A’PEXi is selling its N1 brake duct kits for $450 on its U.S. website, and they’re compatible with all Toyobarus going all the way back to the 2013 Scion FR-S. You could probably make a copy yourself for less money, but I would rather run the one that’s professionally shaped. Akiyama also mentioned that the duct is available for the GR Yaris and that there should be versions for other cars A’PEXi supports soon, too.
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