Performance brake pads will withstand the heat of spirited driving better than standard pads, and their higher-friction material can help you stop faster. They can be dropped right in factory calipers, so they're the easiest and most cost-effective brake upgrade.
You should select a pad material that best fits the driving you will be doing. Street pads perform well even when cold, while track pads require warming up before they'll stop well. Track pads also can be quite noisy -- not a problem at the track, but annoying as anything in stop and go traffic. Track pads also shed copious amounts of dust. But if you are going to be using your car on a race track -- especially if you upgrade to stickier tires -- the constant heat load will destroy any street pad in very short order.
Ceramic pads are the latest and greatest for street use. They are more tolerant of heat than traditional pads, but emit less noise and dust than older performance pads.
Mach V stocks a complete selection of brake pads from Stoptech and Hawk.