We’re throwing as much power as we can at a 2017 Mustang and a 2017 Camaro.

Here’s the gist of why: They’re going head-to-head on the chassis dyno, road course, and drag strip, and we have 20 grand to throw at each of them. May the best car win. It’s Pony Wars – And HERE‘s the deets.

But, to put it simply, all that power, needs corresponding performance braking capabilities.

In addition to beating on the cars at the drag strip and the road course, we did sixty-to-zero braking when they were stock. The Camaro came with Brembos from the factory, so after throwing some matching Brembos on the Mustang, we were good to go. Now that the cars are modded, though, the guys at EPIC Friction Brakes were nice enough to send us over some fresh new pads.

They work perfectly with our factory rotors and Brembos and, after checking them out a bit, they seem to be a great go-to for everyday enthusiasts looking for a nice combination of cold bite and fade resistance. EPIC’s unique hybrid compound not only emphasizes wear but pedal feel, due to its compressibility and elasticity to changes in braking surfaces. The pads are also diamond ground for flatness and seating. Internal testing at EPIC has shown consistently shorter stopping distances as well as less noise than either factory or aftermarket brands. We also like the fact that they are one of the lowest dust producing pads on the market – a huge upside when our cars are expected to be camera-ready everyday.

“EPIC brake pads are engineered to wear not only longer than other performance street pads in the market, but also OE and non-performance replacement pads. The hybrid graphite/ceramic/semi-metallic compound is stable across the temperature range and offers the excellent wear rates of a top quality semi-metallic, but without the noise and dusting results.”

Be sure you check back in on Horsepower Wars’ website to see how the new pads do in the sixty-to-zero with $5,000 in mods on the Mustang and Camaro at Buttonwillow. It’s going to be a crazy ride over the next couple of months as we let these Ponies continue to battle it out.