For high-performance driving, track days, or spirited street use, your brake fluid is a critical safety component that cannot be overlooked. Standard fluids can boil under extreme temperatures, leading to a spongy pedal and dangerous brake fade. Choosing a fluid with a high boiling point is essential for maintaining consistent pedal feel and stopping power when the heat is on.
ATE has long been a trusted name in brake systems, with its iconic Super Blue fluid holding a legendary status among enthusiasts. While the original blue fluid is no longer available, its legacy continues through advanced formulations. This roundup reviews the best ATE fluids and other top-tier competitors to help you find the right high-performance brake fluid for your vehicle’s needs.
Our Top Picks for High-Performance Brake Fluid
- ATE Original TYP 200 Racing Quality DOT 4 Brake Fluid, 1 Liter Can
- Hello New Me: A Daily Food and Exercise Journal to Help You Become the Best Version of Yourself, (90 Days Meal and Activity Tracker)
- ATE Original SL.6 DOT 4 Brake Fluid, 1 Liter Can
- 101667 RBF 660 Dot-4 100 Percent Synthetic Racing Brake Fluid – 500 ml
- Castrol SRF Racing Brake Fluid – 1 Liter 12512
- BRAKE FLUID DOT 4 1QT
- StopTech STR-600 High Performance Brake Fluid, Street Applications, Dry Boiling Point 594F/312C (501.00001)
- ATE SL.6 DOT 4 Low Viscosity Brake Fluid
- ATE Super Blue Racing Brake Fluid (Discontinued – Historical Reference)
ATE Original TYP 200 Racing Quality DOT 4 Brake Fluid
Often considered the spiritual successor to the discontinued Super Blue, ATE TYP 200 is a top-tier DOT 4 fluid designed for high-demand situations. It is known for its robust performance and excellent value, making it a favorite for both track enthusiasts and daily drivers who require extra margin of safety. Its formulation is engineered to resist the performance drop that occurs as brake fluid absorbs moisture over time.
Key features include minimal decrease of boiling point due to excellent water locking properties, which helps maintain performance between fluid changes. It is also non-foaming during the bleeding process, making it easier to achieve a firm pedal. Furthermore, it offers excellent corrosion protection for the critical metal components within your brake system, including calipers and master cylinders.
Hello New Me: A Daily Food and Exercise Journal
This product appears to be incorrectly categorized, as it is a 90-day meal and activity tracker, not a brake fluid. A focused and disciplined approach is required for both personal health and automotive maintenance, but this journal is intended for tracking nutrition and fitness goals. It serves as a tool for individuals aiming to build better habits and monitor their progress over a three-month period.
The journal provides a structured format for daily entries related to food intake and physical activity. While it promotes personal well-being, it does not offer any technical benefits for a vehicle’s hydraulic brake system. For high-performance driving, physical fitness can be an asset, but the correct brake fluid remains the non-negotiable component for safety.
ATE Original SL.6 DOT 4 Brake Fluid
ATE SL.6 represents the cutting edge in modern brake fluid technology, meeting the stringent low-viscosity requirements of DOT 4 Class 6. This specification is increasingly important for modern vehicles with advanced stability control and anti-lock brake systems (ABS) that require fluid to move quickly through small channels. It offers high performance with improved flow characteristics.
A significant advantage of this fluid is its impressive 5-year shelf life in an unopened, properly stored metal tin. The metal container itself is a feature, providing superior protection from moisture and light compared to plastic bottles, which helps preserve the fluid’s integrity before use. This makes it an excellent choice for those who like to keep a spare can on hand.
101667 RBF 660 Dot-4 100 Percent Synthetic Racing Brake Fluid
Motul RBF 660 is a benchmark in the world of professional and amateur racing. This 100 percent synthetic brake fluid is formulated for extreme thermal resistance and stability, offering one of the highest dry boiling points available in a DOT 4 fluid. It is designed to withstand the intense and repeated heat cycles experienced on the racetrack.
This fluid is suitable for use in both brake and hydraulic clutch systems. As with any high-performance fluid, it is always recommended to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations in your vehicle owner’s manual for the best and safest results. For drivers who push their vehicles to the absolute limit, RBF 660 provides the thermal headroom needed to prevent brake fade under the most arduous conditions.
Castrol SRF Racing Brake Fluid
Castrol SRF is widely regarded as the gold standard in racing brake fluids, used by professional teams worldwide. Its exclusive European formula is renowned for an exceptionally high boiling point and superior anti-vapor lock characteristics. This performance level ensures that the brake pedal remains firm and consistent even during the most demanding motorsport activities.
A key metric for brake fluid is its wet boiling point, which indicates performance after it has absorbed moisture. SRF excels here, with a typical wet boiling point of 270° C (518° F), which is higher than the dry boiling point of many competitor fluids. This makes it an outstanding choice for endurance racing and situations where fluid change intervals may be longer, providing a significant safety margin.
BRAKE FLUID DOT 4 1QT
This is a standard DOT 4 synthetic brake fluid offered in a one-quart container. It meets the baseline DOT 4 specifications, making it suitable for general use in vehicles that require this type of fluid. For daily driving and standard commuting, a fluid like this performs its intended function.
However, for high-performance use, track days, or aggressive street driving, it is crucial to look beyond the basic DOT 4 designation. The specific dry and wet boiling points are the critical factors that determine performance under heat stress. Enthusiasts should verify the exact boiling point specifications of any fluid before using it in a high-temperature environment.
StopTech STR-600 High Performance Brake Fluid
StopTech STR-600 is engineered to optimize brake system performance for high-temperature street applications. It offers an impressive typical dry boiling point of 594°F (312°C), providing a substantial safety margin over conventional fluids. This makes it a strong option for performance-oriented street cars that may see occasional track use.
A significant benefit is its compatibility; this DOT 4 fluid can be mixed with all DOT 3 and DOT 4 products, which simplifies the flushing process if you are switching from another brand. It is also fully compatible with modern ABS and vehicle dynamic control systems, ensuring all your safety features function as intended without compromise.
ATE SL.6 DOT 4 Low Viscosity Brake Fluid
This product listing refers to the ATE SL.6 fluid, which is a premium low-viscosity DOT 4 Class 6 brake fluid. As previously mentioned, its primary advantage lies in its fast flow characteristics, which are essential for the rapid cycling of modern electronic brake systems like ESP and ABS. This ensures that these driver-assist systems can react with maximum speed and efficiency.
The low viscosity does not come at the cost of boiling point performance, as it still maintains high thermal thresholds suitable for performance driving. When searching for this product, it is important to ensure you are purchasing from a reputable source to guarantee the product’s authenticity and that it has been stored correctly in its protective metal tin.
ATE Super Blue Racing Brake Fluid
ATE Super Blue is a legendary product that is now discontinued, but it holds a special place in automotive enthusiast history. Its distinct blue color made it exceptionally easy to see when performing a complete brake fluid flush, as you could easily tell when the old fluid had been completely purged from the system and replaced with the new, blue fluid.
While it is no longer in production due to regulations regarding fluid color, its performance characteristics live on in ATE’s TYP 200 fluid, which is nearly identical in formulation but amber in color. Many enthusiasts still reference Super Blue as a benchmark for high-quality, motorsport-proven brake fluid that offered great performance and user-friendly bleeding.
Buying Guide: What to Look For in High-Performance Brake Fluid
When I’m prepping my car for a track day or a spirited mountain drive, one of the first things I check is the brake fluid. It’s the lifeblood of your braking system, and using the wrong type can mean the difference between a confident lap and a scary moment. If you’re looking at a 9 Best ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid Review for High-Performance Use, you’re already on the right track, but let’s break down what actually matters when you’re choosing.
The single most important number for performance driving is the dry and wet boiling point. The dry boiling point is the temperature of fresh, new fluid right out of the bottle. The wet boiling point is arguably more critical; it’s the boiling point after the fluid has absorbed about 3-4% moisture from the air over time. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water, and this dramatically lowers its effectiveness. When brake fluid boils, it creates gas bubbles in the lines. Since gas is compressible and fluid is not, this leads to a long, spongy brake pedal—a feeling you never want at the end of a long straight. For any serious performance use, I look for a dry boiling point well above 500°F (260°C) and a wet boiling point above 350°F (177°C).
Next, you need to know your DOT ratings. This is a Department of Transportation standard that classifies brake fluid. DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 are glycol-ether based and are generally compatible with each other, though you should always flush the system completely when switching. DOT 5 is silicone-based and is not compatible with the others; it’s primarily for classic cars that sit for long periods. For performance, DOT 4 and DOT 5.1 are your go-tos. DOT 4 fluids, like many high-performance options, have the high boiling points we need. DOT 5.1 also has high boiling points but offers a lower viscosity, which is becoming more important for modern cars with stability control systems (ABS, ESC) that require quicker fluid movement.
Finally, consider the viscosity and the fluid’s purpose. If your car has an advanced anti-lock braking and stability control system, a low-viscosity fluid ensures those systems can react quickly. Also, think about how often you’re willing to change it. High-performance fluids tend to absorb moisture faster, so if you’re pushing your car hard, an annual brake fluid flush is a smart, cheap insurance policy. Don’t just grab any bottle off the shelf; match the fluid’s capabilities to your driving demands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ATE Super Blue brake fluid still available?
This is one of the most common questions I get. ATE Super Blue was a very popular brake fluid because its blue color made brake system flushes and fluid changes incredibly easy—you could see the old, dark fluid being replaced by the new, bright blue fluid. However, it is no longer legally sold in the United States. The Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations require that all brake fluids conforming to their standards be amber in color. Because of this, the blue version was phased out of the US market. The good news is that the performance-oriented ATE Typ 200 is the exact same formula as the Super Blue, just in the standard amber color. So, when you read a 9 Best ATE Super Blue Brake Fluid Review for High-Performance Use today, they are almost certainly referring to the Typ 200.
What is the difference between ATE Super Blue and ATE Typ 200?
As mentioned above, the only difference is the color. ATE Typ 200 is the direct, legally-compliant replacement for the legendary Super Blue. It shares the same high-performance specifications: a dry boiling point of 536°F (280°C) and a wet boiling point of 392°F (200°C). This makes it an excellent DOT 4 fluid for track days, autocross, and aggressive street driving. The chemical composition and performance are identical.
How often should I change my high-performance brake fluid?
For a daily-driven car that sees occasional hard use, I recommend changing the brake fluid at least once a year. For a dedicated track car or a vehicle that sees frequent competitive driving, you should change it much more often—before every major event or as specified by your racing organization. High-performance fluids absorb moisture from the air more readily than standard fluids, and that moisture is what lowers the boiling point and promotes internal corrosion. An annual flush is cheap insurance for consistent brake feel and performance.
Can I mix ATE Typ 200 with my existing brake fluid?
You should never mix different types or brands of brake fluid as a general practice. However, since ATE Typ 200 is a glycol-ether based DOT 4 fluid, it is technically compatible with other DOT 3, DOT 4, and DOT 5.1 fluids. The key word is “technically.” For optimal performance and safety, the best practice is to always do a complete system flush when changing fluid types or brands. This removes all the old, potentially moisture-contaminated fluid and ensures you have a consistent, high-boiling-point fluid throughout the entire hydraulic system.
Is this fluid suitable for cars with ABS and stability control?
Yes, absolutely. ATE Typ 200 has a viscosity that is fully compliant with the requirements for modern braking systems, including those with Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), and traction control. These systems rely on the quick movement of brake fluid through small valves and channels, and Typ 200 meets the necessary specifications to allow them to function correctly while providing superior high-temperature performance.