Can in question is a standard 1.7 Puma which I've stripped out to do a few track days. The inner doors skins are gone, seats replaced, together with a few other things I estimate to have lost around 80kg so down to just under a ton hopefully. It's on standard wheels but with R888 tyres.

It was MOT failure, one of the reasons being that one of the front calipers is seized. The calipers, discs and pads are knackered. They are OE 1998 spec, ie 238mm vented with a single pot caliper.

My first thoughts were to bin all that and go bigger but I have a friend who says that 238mm is actually the optimal size for a car of that power and weight because they need to get hot in order for race pads to work properly. The car will do minimal mileage, trailered about and only driven in anger. So I've no requirement for longevity in the pad choice.

We debated for long enough that I actually think he thinks 280mm from a Fiesta ST which was my decision based on cost/my perceived performance gain are actually going to be worse due to them cooling down too quickly.

Please help me settle this. Small and hot or large and potentially less hot but with more mechanical advantage.

Thanks.