Brembo's Ultra-Powerful New Calipers Were Built For America's Biggest Trucks

American vehicles are getting heavier. According to the EPA, the average new vehicle in the U.S. in 2024 weighed 4,354 lbs, which is the heaviest average ever recorded.

The weight difference between pickups and passenger cars is also increasing. In 1975, the average new sedan or wagon was 46 lbs heavier than the average pickup. By 2024, the tables had long since turned, and pickups were around 1,700 lbs heavier than passenger cars on average.

Bringing all of that weight to a stop requires increasingly beefy brakes, and Brembo has now stepped in to provide them. The company recently unveiled its new Boldika brake calipers, which will debut on the new Chevrolet Silverado EV RST Stars and Steel Edition. It says that these new six-piston calipers are the most powerful that it has ever built for passenger vehicles (which includes the Silverado EV RST Stars and Steel Edition, in this context), with more than 8,500Nm (6,269 pound-feet) of braking torque.

Boldika is a brand-new venture for Brembo, which has never made calipers specifically for heavy-duty trucks and large SUVs before. They're made from a combination of aluminum and cast-iron components, with the former reducing weight compared to an entirely cast-iron caliper. Their new three-piece construction also helps improve rigidity, while Brembo's integrated Enesys technology is designed to cut drag to zero, lengthening pad life.

Although the new calipers will launch on Chevrolet's electric truck, they weren't designed specifically for EVs. Stéphane Rolland, president and CEO of Brembo North America, clarified that they're designed to be "adaptable [...] for large trucks and SUVs regardless of powertrain," adding that the focus was to offer "improved braking precision and less fade." They can be fitted to wheels measuring 20 inches or larger.

Rolland also noted that various color options will be available later down the line, although this Silverado EV's calipers will initially be painted in traditional Torch Red. They'll also feature both Brembo and the truck maker's branding, just like many other new cars with Brembo brakes. This configuration can complement the pickup's available American Flag-inspired full-length stripes in Satin Silver or Satin Black, along with "250" flag graphics on spoiler ends and doors. Drivers will have to select the RST Crew Cab trim to receive these graphics.

Anyone considering a truck with the new Boldika calipers will likely want to know how to pronounce their name, and Brembo has clarified that it should be pronounced: "bohl-DEE-kah." Apparently, it's designed to look a bit like a combination of the words "bold" and "like."

It is certainly a striking departure from the norm for a brand that's best known for making brake products for high-performance road cars and for every current Formula 1 team, but not necessarily an unexpected one. After all, big trucks just keep getting bigger, which means the demand for heavy-duty calipers is going to keep increasing, too.