Systems, devices, and methods are provided for manufacturing a carbon ceramic brake disc. Generally, a plurality of uncured or partially-cured bulk molding compound preforms or molding compound layers and ventilation cores are placed in a mold cavity and warm-pressed at a first temperature. The ventilation cores are removed from the resulting cured green body. The cured green body is then removed from the mold, and treated through a polymer infiltration and pyrolysis or reactive melt infiltration process. Certain steps can be repeated until a desired target density or weight is attained.