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Aluminium alloys have been used extensively in the automotive industry to reduce the weight of a vehicle and improve fuel consumption which in turn leads to a reduction in engine emissions. The main aim of the current study is to replace the conventional cast iron rotor material with a lightweight alternative such as coated aluminium alloy. The main challenge has been to meet both the cost and functional demands of modern mass-produced automotive braking systems. A sensitivity analysis based on the Taguchi approach was carried out to investigate the effect of various parameters on the thermal performance of a typical candidate disc brake. Wrought aluminium disc brake rotors coated with alumina on the rubbing surfaces were determined to have the best potential for replacing the conventional cast iron rotor at reasonable cost. Optimisation of the structure was subsequently carried out using a genetic algorithm on the selected coated aluminium disc brake rotor.