Bigger brakes - worth it?

[Dakota]

I came across this YouTube video recently which has me reconsidering a long-held personal belief that bigger brakes (larger diameter rotors and more pistons on the caliper) will stop my car faster.   For a street driven car (highway speeds or less, no towing), the answer appears to be "not really," as the benefit is primarily increasing how much heat the rotors can carry and shed during repeat heavy braking before performance declines.   I found this interesting... maybe you will too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql9eYh31kTw

[70_440-6Cuda]

My understanding has always been bigger brakes helped disapate heat under repeated brake ng instances such as on a track with multiple corners, not much of an improvement for single instance braking.  But big brakes look cool!  . Interesting video...

[torredcuda]

Larger rotors coupled with tires that have a larger footprint and stickier compound = better braking, bolting on big 4 wheel disc brakes when you still have BFG all season tires may give you better feel but I doubt stopping distances would improve much as the tires will be the limiting factor.

[Brads70]

I'd agree with most of what he said in the video. I think he forgot that optimum braking AND control are achieved BEFORE brake lock up.  That's why anti-lock brakes work so well. It takes some of the skill required out of driving. Put that same young guy in an old drum brake car without anti-lock up technology and I think he would have a different opinion. Lots of the first couple generations of Vipers did not have antilock brakes and many of them ended up in wrecking yards as a result of driving skill.   
  So just comparing brake lock up is not the whole picture IMO.  I went with Viper Brembo's yes because they look cool, but more importantly  to me was brake pad options. I found the stock pads in the stock calipers faded pretty quickly in spirited driving. I also went with much wider tires up front and performance rubber, not only for handling but also for improved braking BEFORE they lock up. The tires are now aged out and the rubber has become harder and I notice a substantial difference in both handling and braking. 
All the cars from the 50-70's suffered from the same issue.   This was not a big problem as all the other cars and drivers also had to deal with the same braking distance and left the appropriate spacing. Drum brakes...then disc started showing up. I think the problem was when you mix the older technology with new technology. Newer cars can stop quicker.
If you have an old car technology wise  and remember to leave a bigger braking distance you shouldn't have a problem not stopping as fast.
Problem I see as the years have gone by is that the masses drive to the limits of the technology they have at the time. New drivers tend to not look any further than the end of the hood  and leave very little braking distance as they depend on the much improved tire technology and braking systems we have now.  Then factor in snow or even wet and the fun begins...

[Filthy Filbert]

If you can lock up your wheels now, then bigger brakes alone will not stop you faster when doing 1 panic stop.   

If you cannot lock up the wheels now, then yes, bigger brakes will stop you faster.

Bigger brakes become a factor when discussing repeated hard braking, such as in auto cross or out on a road course.   Or, even just spirited driving.

My personal before and after demonstration:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw0O7Hknzhg

After a quick run through Hocking Hills, the guy behind me who had stock brakes said he roached his and was starting to get brake fade, so we called a knock it off and let his brakes cool back down.   He warped a rotor that day and we had to do a brake job on his truck that night with new pads and rotors.   You can see in the end, when his license plate starts rattling against the windshield, that his rotor had warped during this run:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw0O7Hknzhg