Heel Toe Around Town? - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

strat61caster · 06-05-2013, 04:23 PM

Bit of a disagreement regarding whether or not Heel/Toe is useful for around town driving, curious to see where everybody stands on it.

Personally, completely unnecessary around town, I don't even hit the brakes hard enough to get my heel down to the gas peddle for a controlled blip and even if I do, it's never long enough to get in a smooth shift (which is the entire point, smoothness). If you're slowing down hard enough to require a downshift while you're still on the brakes, you're probably driving in a manner which can be deemed as reckless. This discussion should be entirely about daily driving, getting groceries etc., midnight racers and stoplight jockeys will be laughed at and track junkies should understand the difference.

Stay safe.

Luis_GT · 06-05-2013, 04:30 PM

I live through corners, so I use it from time to time whenever I borrow the M3... but I'm currently driving an auto as a daily, so meh...

ML · 06-05-2013, 04:32 PM

practice makes perfect.

OrbitalEllipses · 06-05-2013, 04:32 PM

I heel/toe everyday...but I when I'm "driving in Mexico" I am exceeding the speed limit.

Ghost 86 · 06-05-2013, 04:36 PM

I do it out of habit but its pretty easy to match the revs in this car no matter the speed

naikaidriver · 06-05-2013, 04:39 PM

While I purchased the auto FRS, I have only owned and raced manual-transmission cars for the last 24 years. During that time I seldom, if ever felt it necessary to shift like Ken Block whilst driving like Miss Daisy around town.

Ultimately, if someone wants to heel-toe every downshift while going to and from school or work, I could care less. Its their car and "supposedly" they are adults and should be able to operate their cars how they see fit within the confines of the law.

Just because I think its "silly" and pointless should be irrelevant.

Scott

velin86 · 06-05-2013, 04:47 PM

Really no reason to in everyday driving. I would sometimes just to practice or mess around but I don't see a need to.

DarkSunrise · 06-05-2013, 04:47 PM

Yes. There's no downside and it ensures you're in the proper gear at all times. I don't see a reason why you wouldn't heel-toe around town if you're able to.

tmcmullins · 06-05-2013, 04:49 PM

I never heel/toed before this car. It took few weeks of practice before I got the gist of it. The day I wore sandals and had to drive barefoot is when everything clicked. But yea, I like it. Works great for daily driving.

lsxiong · 06-05-2013, 04:50 PM

I hit the brakes on a wide open freeway just so I can heel toe.

GTB/ZR-1 · 06-05-2013, 04:50 PM

I do if I want to show off... Lol

I do it ALL the time in my ZR-1, because I rarely drive it & it just sounds SO GOOD blipping it down with its barely-legal exhaust. People always gawk @ lights as I come to a stop...

fatoni · 06-05-2013, 04:55 PM

im not sure if you would even need to heel-toe when you are in race mode. there isnt enough power to really warrant it. that being said, its not like it takes anything away (that im aware of). the only thing i can think of as far as a con goes is the fact that you are going to need a different rhythm if you are shifting from redlilne as opposed to shifting around 4000 in routine driving and that might make it difficult to be able to manage both smoothly.

thill · 06-05-2013, 04:56 PM

Around town? Not really...

2point0 · 06-05-2013, 05:01 PM

I do it out of habit. I don't really try, it just feels natural. I think it depends on the situation, too. I know I don't heel/toe in every instance, but I couldn't tell you what makes me do one or the other.

"I don't always use heel/toe, but when I do it's because racecar."

I should add that I'm huge. Each foot could cover all three pedals, so it's not really out of my way to do it.

View Poll Results: Heel Toe around town?
ALWAYS RACECAR	97	35.79%
Sometimes, for fun	78	28.78%
Almost never/don't know/don't care for it	78	28.78%
Drive an Auto	18	6.64%
Voters: 271. You may not vote on this poll

06-05-2013, 04:39 PM	#6
naikaidriver Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Drives: 2013 Scion FR-S AT Asphalt Location: Lynnwood, WA Posts: 770 Thanks: 145 Thanked 673 Times in 289 Posts Mentioned: 13 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	While I purchased the auto FRS, I have only owned and raced manual-transmission cars for the last 24 years. During that time I seldom, if ever felt it necessary to shift like Ken Block whilst driving like Miss Daisy around town. Ultimately, if someone wants to heel-toe every downshift while going to and from school or work, I could care less. Its their car and "supposedly" they are adults and should be able to operate their cars how they see fit within the confines of the law. Just because I think its "silly" and pointless should be irrelevant. Scott __________________

06-05-2013, 04:47 PM	#8
DarkSunrise Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Drives: 22 BRZ (Previously 13 FR-S) Location: USA Posts: 5,795 Thanks: 2,171 Thanked 4,242 Times in 2,220 Posts Mentioned: 48 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Yes. There's no downside and it ensures you're in the proper gear at all times. I don't see a reason why you wouldn't heel-toe around town if you're able to. __________________ "Never run out of real estate, traction, and ideas at the same time." 2022 BRZ Build 2013 FR-S Build

06-05-2013, 04:50 PM	#11
GTB/ZR-1 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Drives: '13 BRZ in WRB--let's mod!!! Location: Central, FL Posts: 1,224 Thanks: 317 Thanked 449 Times in 262 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I do if I want to show off... Lol I do it ALL the time in my ZR-1, because I rarely drive it & it just sounds SO GOOD blipping it down with its barely-legal exhaust. People always gawk @ lights as I come to a stop... __________________ * ‘23 Corolla GR—AutoX/DE toy * '13 Toyobaru P&L Turbo WRB BRZ SCCA XS-A build starting. SOLD * '22 Z51 Vette--sold. * '09 Nissan GT-R--gone, but not forgotten... 10.63 @ 131+ on streeties. * '90 ZR-1 11.0 @ 130.2 & 11.2 @ 132.4 sprayed 120 shot.

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06-05-2013, 04:30 PM	#2
Luis_GT Banned Join Date: Jul 2012 Drives: 2002 BMW 530i, 10 Series FR-S Location: Puerto Rico Posts: 3,404 Thanks: 3,416 Thanked 3,334 Times in 1,754 Posts Mentioned: 60 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	I live through corners, so I use it from time to time whenever I borrow the M3... but I'm currently driving an auto as a daily, so meh...

06-05-2013, 04:32 PM	#4
OrbitalEllipses Banned Join Date: Jan 2012 Drives: Attitude Location: MD Posts: 10,046 Thanks: 884 Thanked 4,889 Times in 2,902 Posts Mentioned: 123 Post(s) Tagged: 4 Thread(s)	I heel/toe everyday...but I when I'm "driving in Mexico" I am exceeding the speed limit.

06-05-2013, 04:36 PM	#5
Ghost 86 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2013 Whiteout FR-S Location: Maineville OH (Landen) Posts: 104 Thanks: 12 Thanked 40 Times in 22 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I do it out of habit but its pretty easy to match the revs in this car no matter the speed

06-05-2013, 04:47 PM	#7
velin86 Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2013 Raven FRS 6MT Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 112 Thanks: 10 Thanked 19 Times in 19 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Really no reason to in everyday driving. I would sometimes just to practice or mess around but I don't see a need to.

06-05-2013, 04:49 PM	#9
tmcmullins Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: Scion FR-S Location: Rancho Cucamonga, CA Posts: 116 Thanks: 150 Thanked 68 Times in 31 Posts Mentioned: 2 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I never heel/toed before this car. It took few weeks of practice before I got the gist of it. The day I wore sandals and had to drive barefoot is when everything clicked. But yea, I like it. Works great for daily driving.

06-05-2013, 04:50 PM	#10
lsxiong Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Drives: 92 Integra Location: California Posts: 53 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 9 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I hit the brakes on a wide open freeway just so I can heel toe.

06-05-2013, 04:55 PM	#12
fatoni Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Drives: miata, mazdaspeed protege, ls430 Location: socal Posts: 4,416 Thanks: 599 Thanked 1,442 Times in 787 Posts Mentioned: 28 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	im not sure if you would even need to heel-toe when you are in race mode. there isnt enough power to really warrant it. that being said, its not like it takes anything away (that im aware of). the only thing i can think of as far as a con goes is the fact that you are going to need a different rhythm if you are shifting from redlilne as opposed to shifting around 4000 in routine driving and that might make it difficult to be able to manage both smoothly.

06-05-2013, 04:56 PM	#13
thill Senior Member Join Date: May 2012 Drives: 2020 SS1LE (previous 13 BRZ owner) Location: North Pole Posts: 2,753 Thanks: 328 Thanked 1,463 Times in 802 Posts Mentioned: 20 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Around town? Not really...

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