I have had my 8 for 10 months now and still haven't mastered heel and toeing in this car. I am very familiar with the technique but find the pedal positions in the 8 rather cumbersome for heel and toeing.

The only way that works for me is to brake with left edge of the right foot and use the ride edge to blip the throttle.

Any insight will be greatly appreciated.

 

On a related note, can someone please explain this technique to me....I've read about people using it for the past ten years, but have never understood it fully. Maybe it seems a stupid question - but I just don't know how.

 

Say you are entering into a turn the sequence of action is:

1) you lift of the throttle and apply the brake thus transfering weight to the front wheel sand down shift

2) hit the apex

3) on the way out you start accelerating upshift

but you need to match the revs to the gear you are shifting into, so to brake and blip the throttle with th eright foot is called heel(heel on the brake pedal) and toe(toes and ball of your foor on the gas pedal).

Anyway, that is my understanding.

 

In modern times, that's actually the correct way to do it. It's very hard nowadays to get your foot sideways. This is why the aftermarket pedal covers have a wider gas pedal, to bring it closer to the brake. I use the ball of foot on brake, blip throttle with little toe side of foot version also (I always double-clutch downshifts at the same time, so you end up working all three pedals at once! )

Regards,
Gordon

 

You know, I heel-toe it the same you you do RenesisPower. I'm not very good at it though. I just can't seem to get my size 12 and 13 shoes to hit the pedals any other way. If I try to put the heel on one pedal, and the toe on the other (doesn't matter which one is which), it just makes my foot hit everything else down there.

 

I do it the same way you do, left side of the ball of right foot on the right side of the brake, and tilt my foot to the right and use the side of my shoe/foot to blip the throttle - all the while with the left foot operating the clutch. I do it mainly to match the revs for downshifting while entering a corner under braking...

It is very easy to do on my old MG. It is trickier on the 8 because the brakes are so good!

 

yeah i do it the same way with the wide front end of my right foot, left front ball on brake, right front ball on gas. on my old car the two pedals were not the same height, but on the RX8 they are, so it feels a lot more natural, i dont even think about it anymore its just how to drive, just be wary of coming off the clutch too fast especially when using this technique in a curve or you can end up with your back end in front of you.

 

I heel-toe, I learned it on the 8.. I have small feet tho.

I actually use my toes on the left pedall thingie and the heel on the right deal.

 

Gord,

Do you really double clutch ? I haven't done that in years since new clutches are much better now making this technique somewhat obsolete. But my hat is off to you.

 

id say a double clutch is in order for a 6-3 or 6-4 shift why make the synchros work hehe

 

Yup - mostly because it's fun, but it really does save wear on the synchronizers (nothing to do with the clutch, the purpose is to synchronize the gear shaft speeds manually via double-clutch instead of making the synchronizers do the work). I started doing it about 25 years ago when I owned an Alfa Romeo, which had the typical non-existent 2nd gear synchro. It's true that these days, synchros usually last the life of a car, so premature wear isn't much of an issue, but if I can prevent wear on them and have fun doing it, why not?

Regards,
Gordon

 

I double clutch too, I dont know how to downshift without doing that.

 

I learned to heel and toe in Kuwait. I was there for the Air Force and they gave us these crappy mitsubishi pickup trucks with 5 speeds. They were gutless so we drove the ever living **** out of them. After awhile I was like "what the hell?" I might as well learn on a vehicle that isn't mine. When I got my 8 I greatly refined my technique. I actually turn my foot sideways to do a true "heel and toe" I get better brake control this way because I'm operating the two pedals with two completely different ends of my foot. I find that the harder I brake, the easier it is to do because the two pedals are at about the same height. I love nailing a good 5-4, 4-3, 3-2 into a corner. Vroom-shift, vroom-shift, vroom-shift, apex, WOT, oversteer YEAH!

 

I just go from 5 to 2.. is that bad?

 

I don't 'cuz I don't know how to do it :D
(and I certainly don't want to mess up my 8 by trying this by myself only)

 

It's not hard.. I can do it, and I can barely upshift!!

 

Well, to be honest, I didn't really feel the need to try it... I'm sure I'm missing out on some fun, but I like to drive the car without this too

 

I did just have my tranny rebuilt.. but that's not why! lol

 

I use the ball of my foot on the brake and the lateral side of my foot on the gas like it appears most people here favor. (Although I haven't done it in the 8 yet since I've only had it a week, still getting a feel for it) There is a great video called Laguna Seca Time Attack where an in-car camera captures the action in the cockpit while insets show the tach/speed and the driver's feet on the pedals. He uses the actual heel and toe and seems to be doing it very effectively. Regardless of the technique used, it may be useful for someone new to heel-toeing to see what it's all about. You can download the video from Takahashi's site at http://www.step-hen.com/e_rx8clips.htm

 

I have Heel toed all of my cars including street cars. True heel toe is using opposite ends of the foot, however that was when brake fade was common. Bob Bondaurant discouraged "bliping" the throttle since during fade the brake would have traveled passed the throttle. I have ran 2 ITS RX-7s, a Ford Mustang, and a Formula Ford on the track. All of them I "blipped" the throttle. The only one that got trickey was the Mustang due to brake fade. I just ran my RX-8 at Sebring and had no problems with the brakes. I did not use max braking but was close. I had no fade and of course was "blipping " the Throttle.

I heel toe (Blip) on the street all the time, except, of course when coming to a stop like at a light.

John

 

that's how I heel toe to begin with- so I don't have a problem

however, if I miss sometimes- can't explain- I actually revert to "true" heel toe form- but as my standard form, I use sides of the feet

but to answer the question- yes, everytime, all the time, with every manual I drive

 

i never got good at heel-toeing, and i did it like those crazy japanese guys on Best Motoring, using the toe on the brake and heel on the gas...

as for double clutching, what is it? not sure if i already do this or not, but i never disengage the clutch twice while downshifting, if that's what it is...

now i just engine brake around turns...i downshift right before the turn and very slowly let off the gas to slow down the car...i rarely even hit the brake anymore unless i have to make a complete stop or i'm going way too fast for engine breaking to be effective

 

double clutching is rev matching while in neutral before you shift. yes, you clutch twice.

 

something a friend of mine came up with: Heel Toe downshift

 

Double clutching hurt the car too much and heel toeing is actually useful to keep the rev up... you just have to do a touch... no need to rev it up hard... Just a touch to gain about 1000 rpm will be enough

So clutch down shift (first off the say... 4th to neural) then shift the foot to the right hand side... give it a rev then swift to 3rd...

So the sequence should be..

Brake. clutch, shift nerual/heel toe, downshft complete. clutch up.

Teacher told me not to worry about it if not successful the worst thing you do is panic and lift the foot of the brake! This create oversteer in my car as I suddenly shift the weight rearward.

Happy heel toeing...