Differences among F22/F3X Stock, M Sport, and M Performance Brakes (2024)

Stock factory brakes on the F22 2-series, F30 3-series, and F32 4-series continue to confuse owners and part suppliers alike. BMW offered several different brake specs on these cars, and sometimes with the exact same branding for different components.

Most of the confusion is centered on the M Sport name. Depending on your model this was a trim package, more aggressive brake pads, larger front & rear rotors, or all of the above. The options codes were P337A, S2NHA, or both on the same vehicle build sheet. Note when we spell out "Package" versus "Option" in the notes below.

BMW applied the M Sport label inconsistently to too many options. There was even differences among model years and sales markets (US vs. Europe vs. Canada). We'll be happy to look up your original options by using your VIN but we may also ask for photos or measurements just to be sure. For a gallery of M Sport brakes, click to the bottom of the page. Through careful research and physical observations of the parts we can spell out the differences but be aware that new info continues to reveal itself and this page may change.

Important Notes:
1. Retrofits and brake swaps from another model are common as cars get into second and third owners. Since these components all came from the BMW parts bin nearly everything can be swapped from one model to another.
2. Keep in mind that you may have a retrofit on the front but original spec on the rear.

M Sport trimpackage (228i RWD only). Option code P337/P337A (A for America). Grey calipers, 330mm front rotors.
A comprehensive package of M Sport front and rear bumpers, M steering wheel, sport seats, M sport suspension and other trim pieces. The front rotors are 10mm larger (330mm) and sportier pads were included on the front and rear. You ordered the P337 M Sport package along with other packages when buying the car - Premium, Cold Weather, Technology, etc. The P337A brake changes listed here do not apply to 230i/230xi.

M Sport upgradeoption(2012-2015). Option code S2NH/S2NHA (A for America). Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
By checking off this box under the Options form, you got larger rotors, blue Brembo calipers, and sportier pads. All of the parts came from the stock M235i brakes. S2NH was a standalone option and separate from any other package but required 18" wheels.

M Sport upgrade with Track Handling Package (2016-2018).Option code ZTR. Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
Beginning in 2016 the S2NH could only be ordered through the Track Handling Package and could not be ordered separately. The specs remained the same.

M Performance accessoryretrofit. Red, orange, or Yellow calipers. 370mm/345mm dimpled and slotted rotors.
Through the Accessories catalog at the dealer you could order M Performance brakes. These are red, orange, or yellow calipers and larger rotors with a dimple/slot pattern. These could also be ordered from the aftermarket. For these models the M Performance brakes are larger than the M Sport brakes.

335i Retrofit.Grey Brembo calipers, 340mm front rotors.
Stock, take-off 335i front brakes will bolt up to the 228i/230i. These were a 4-piston grey Brembo caliper and 340mm rotor. We don't recommend this unless matching rear brakes are installed and the ABS/DSC software is updated to the 228i M Sport version.

Base. Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
Since the M235i/M240i is a "M Sport" model to start with it has S2NH M Sport brakes as standard. This is a little different spec than other 335i/435i models.

M Sport upgrade option (2014-2015). Option code S2NH/S2NHA (A for America). Blue calipers, 370mm/345mm rotors.
This was an option that could be checked off from the Options and Accessories page when the car was ordered. The rear brakes stayed the same but fronts were upgraded to larger rotors.

M Sport upgrade with Track Handling Package (2016-2018). Option code ZTR. Blue calipers, 370mm/345mm rotors.
Beginning in 2016 the S2NH could only be ordered through the Track Handling Package and could not be ordered separately. The specs remained the same.

M Performance accessory retrofit. Red, orange, or Yellow calipers. 370mm/345mm dimpled and slotted rotors.
Through the Accessories catalog at the dealer you could order M Performance brakes. These are red, orange, or yellow calipers and larger rotors with a dimple/slot pattern. These could also be ordered from the aftermarket. The 370mm M Accessory components are interchangeable with the 370mm S2NH M Sport brakes.

M Sport trimpackage. There was no P337 M Sport package for the 320i.

M Sport upgradeoption(2012-2015). There was no S2NH M Sport brake option for the 320i (see Track Package note below).

M Sport upgrade with Track Handling Package (2016-2018).Option code ZTR. Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
Beginning in 2016 the S2NH could be ordered through the Track Handling Package.The specs were the same as other 328i/428i models and the same as the base brakes on a M235i.

M Performance accessoryretrofit. Red, orange, or Yellow calipers. 370mm/345mm dimpled and slotted rotors.
Through the Accessories catalog at the dealer you could order M Performance brakes. These are red, orange, or yellow calipers and larger rotors with a dimple/slot pattern. These could also be ordered from the aftermarket. The 370mm M Accessory components are interchangeable with the 370mm S2NH M Sport brakes.

335i Retrofit.Grey Brembo calipers, 340mm front rotors.
Stock, take-off 335i front brakes will bolt up to the 320i. These were a 4-piston grey Brembo caliper and 340mm rotor. We don't recommend this unless matching rear brakes are installed and the ABS/DSC software is updated to 328i M Sport version.

The below info applies to rear-wheel drive models only.

M Sport trimpackage. Option code P337/P337A (A for America). Grey single or 4-piston calipers, 330mm or 340mm front rotors.
A comprehensive package of M Sport front and rear bumpers, M steering wheel, sport seats, M sport suspension and other trim pieces. You ordered the P337 M Sport package along with other packages when buying the car - Premium, Cold Weather, Technology, etc. The front rotors are larger and sportier pads were included on the front and rear.
For 2015+ 328i and 2016+ 428i the P337A used stock 335i brakes (340mm front rotor and 4-piston caliper).

M Sport upgradeoption(2012-2015). Option code S2NH/S2NHA (A for America). Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
By checking off this box under the Options form, you got larger rotors, blue Brembo calipers, and sportier pads. All of the parts are the same as what was standard on a M235i. This was a standalone option and separate from any other package but required 18" wheels.

M Sport upgrade with Track Handling Package (2016-2018).Option code ZTR. Blue calipers, 340mm/345mm rotors.
Beginning in 2016 the S2NH could only be ordered through the Track Handling Package and could not be ordered separately. The specs remained the same.

M Performance accessoryretrofit. Red, orange, or Yellow calipers. 370mm/345mm dimpled and slotted rotors.
Through the Accessories catalog at the dealer you could order M Performance brakes. These are red, orange, or yellow calipers and larger rotors with a dimple/slot pattern. These could also be ordered from the aftermarket. The 370mm M Accessory components are interchangeable with the 370mm S2NH M Sport brakes.

335i Retrofit.Grey Brembo calipers, 340mm front rotors.
Stock, take-off 335i front brakes will bolt up to the 328i/428i. This is actually what the P337A M Sport package used from 2015-2016. These were a 4-piston grey Brembo caliper and 340mm rotor. The ABS/DSC software should be updated to 328i M Sport version.

Rear Rotor Note: BMW changed Base rear rotors slightly throughout production:
Part #34216792227 for: F30 328i sedan up to 7/2014 production and F32 428i coupe up to 7/2015 production.
Part #34216864900 for: F30 328i/330i sedan after 7/2014 production, F32 428i/430i coupe after 7/2015 production, all F31 wagon, all F33 convertible, all F34 GT, and all F36 GranCoupe.

M Sport trimpackage. Option code P337/P337A (A for America). Grey calipers, 340mm front rotors.
The P337 M Sport package could be selected along with other packages when ordering the car - Premium, Cold Weather, Technology, etc. It consisted of a M trim pieces - M Sport front and rear bumpers, M steering wheel, sport seats, M sport suspension and other trim pieces. The rotors and calipers remained the same as the base 335i but you got sportier pads.

M Sport upgradeoption(2012-2015). Option code S2NH/S2NHA (A for America). Blue calipers, 370mm/345mm rotors.
For 2012-2013 models this was only an upgrade to more aggressive Euro brake pads. In mid-2013 they included larger front and rear rotors and upgraded the rear caliper to a 2-piston Brembo. This was an option that could be checked off from the Options and Accessories page when the car was ordered. Since it was separate from other options you could have a base 335i with the larger blue M Sport brakes.

M Sport upgrade with Track Handling Package (2016-2018). Option code ZTR. Blue calipers, 370mm/345mm rotors.
Beginning in 2016 the S2NH could only be ordered through the Track Handling Package and could not be ordered separately. The specs remained the same.

M Performance accessoryretrofit. Red, orange, or Yellow calipers. 370mm/345mm dimpled and slotted rotors.
Through the Accessories catalog at the dealer you could order M Performance brakes. These are red, orange, or yellow calipers and larger rotors with a dimple/slot pattern. These could also be ordered from the aftermarket. The 370mm M Accessory components are interchangeable with the 370mm S2NH M Sport brakes.

The M2 was released for 2016 with the same iron discs and blue M Sport calipers as used on the F80 M3 and F82 M4. All parts are the same.

The M2 Competition (M2C) was released midway through 2019. All M2 Competition in the US market received larger brakes that were optional in other markets. Confusingly, BMW also called this option S2NH M Sport brakes. The standard brakes in other markets were the same blue M Sport brakes as used on the early M2 and M3/M4. The M2C front and rear calipers are the same caliper as used on Carbon Ceramic Brakes (CCB for the M3/M4 and M5/M6). However, the rotors are obviously cast iron and the pads are specific for iron rotors. The M2C rotors are the same diameter as the M3/M4 CCB but slightly narrower. In fact, M2C iron rotors can be used to replace CCB rotors(or as a more economical option when paired with non-CCB pads also).

M3/M4 brakes were consistent throughout the entire production run. The standard brake was the familiar blue M Sport front and rear calipers. The calipers are actually the same as the M235i/335i/435i but spaced further out to account for the larger rotors. Even the pads are the same between all models with the M Sport brakes. There was no change to the brakes for the M4 CS.

Carbon Ceramic Brakes were an option on M3/M4 and standard on the M4 GTS. These used the same calipers as the F10 M5 and F87 M2 Competition iron brakes but finished in gold. Pads are the same shape as well but formulated for the carbon discs obviously. Carbon discs can be exchanged for 400mm iron discs and matching pads. This is an economical choice for regular track use or to preserve the carbon discs. See our tech article on a CCB swap by clicking here.

The M235iR and M240iR were originally used for a spec racing class in Europe and all entries were required to use the same brakes - even the same brake pad compound. Slight freedoms were allowed as the car migrated to other series around the world but nearly all M235iR/M240iR cars were equipped with a Performance Friction (PFC) front big brake kit and the factory M235i M Sport brakes on the rear. It should be noted that the PFC rotor rings are standard, off-the-shelf parts (372x32mm) but that the rotor hat (bell) is specific to the M235iR/M240iR. It has a built in spacer so these cars can use 18x10" wheels with the fender flares. Contact us if you need this specific center hat.

Later in series production BMW made available a 6-piston front brake option from AP Racing. But it's rare to find a car with this option.

The below part numbers and links will bring you to standard, off-the-shelf, replacement parts. These may not be hom*ologated to your racing series. Please check with your series tech staff before committing to a purchase.

The F82 GT4 race car used AP Racing brakes in front and rear. Fronts are a massive 390mm disc with 6-piston caliper and rears are 355mm with a 4-piston caliper. The front caliper and pad are the same as used on the M6 GT3.

BMW Motorsport listed two specs for the GT4: Sprint or Endurance racing. Endurance spec used a thicker front rotor but no change to the rear size. When running the thicker Endurance rotor you must use a thinner pad (typically 20mm). The Sprint spec rotors use more slots on the rotor face.

The below part numbers and links will bring you to standard, off-the-shelf, replacement parts. These may not be hom*ologated to your racing series. Please check with your series tech staff before committing to a purchase.

stock M235i

328i M Sport P337A

328i M Sport S2NH

stock 335i

335i M Sport S2NH

M Performance

380mm M2 (N55) brakes

400mm M2 Competition brakes

400mm "Big Red" M Performance brakes