Is it just me or does the accelerator and brake pedal placement in these cars make it very difficult to perform heal and toe maneuvers? For some reason, BMW's and other german sports cars seem to have the pedal placement just right to brake and blip the throttle as you downshift.
Maybe I'm doing some thing wrong?

 

I found it difficult as well, I installed a set of rennline pedals with the toe extension, easy to do now.

 

Cool,
Are these it? http://www.rennline.com/Pedal-Set-3-...45.21/BRUSHED/

 

What kind of wound does you toe have?

 

Yes, make sure you order the throttle extensions. I removed the bottom part of the extension. I also ordered it in black, which is wearing out very quickly.

 

awsome! Thanks.

 

When I first learned high performance driving I used heel & toe all the time.
Then I got into racing and found out that a lot of very fast drivers don't use it at all.
So, I learned the new "non heel & toe" technique. Here's what a very fast driver said when he rode with me to see what the technique was. At the time I had a 330Ci.
"After some smooth, fast laps around Summit Point in Mr. B's 330Ci on Sunday,
I can agree with Mr. B and say that it's not necessary to heel-toe to be
fast on the track. He has the process down very well, never causing the car
to lurch, rear wheels never chirped, and the engine seemed to be very happy
obliging. I'm don't remember every detail of the process, but he first uses
the brakes to slow down, then downshifts into the lower gear just before
beginning the turn. I think the key is to smoothly release the clutch,
rather than a quick release, so the engine doesn't cause the drivetrain to
lurch.

I was also amazed at how well the 330Ci, with stock suspension and tires,
handled on the track. It was the first opportunity that I had to ride in an
E46 immediately after driving my M3, for a fair comparison. The 330Ci was
very well balanced, and felt very strong. It doesn't seem to have the same
pulling power in the upper RPM range as my M3, but low end torque is strong.
The ride is very well controlled on the track, it doesn't understeer like
a pig, and body roll was well managed.

My first experience on the track in a 330Ci was in June, 2000 (prior to
their official introduction) at the Nurburgring, with Robert Fassl (BMW test
engineer) at the wheel. He put the 330Ci through it's paces around the
'Ring, at speeds that none of us were ready to attempt, while calming
conversing and working the controls in a relaxed manner that didn't convey
what the car was doing on the track. The car is THAT good on the track!

Robert, along with Andy Bovensiepen (a former test engineer for BMW, and son
of Alpina's founder, Burkard Bovensiepen), worked extensively to refine the
E46 suspension at the 'Ring. Andy said he was very proud of the final
product, that it was the best handling 3-series model (non-M) that BMW ever
produced.

Who said that the 330Ci wasn't a good car on the track?"

Mr. B

 

Hmmmmm, interesting. It seems like a harder technique to master though becasue as you brake and upshift, you'd think there'd be need to match revs at the same time. I resorted to depressing the clutch and upshifting at the end of braking while rounding the corner so I don't runout the clutch, but I'll try your technique.
My first car was a 2000 328ci the precurssor to the 330ci. It was built like a tank with a perfect weight distribution. Great car and although its engine was anemic for today's standards, it was lots of fun.

 

Why are you "braking and upshifting"?

 

I meant shifting to a lower gear...

 

I brake and downshift; just without heel & toe.
In racing things happen quickly and you could easily screw up the heel/toe technique.

My racecar is a 1999 Civic Si that I run in Showroom Stock C. With the VTEC motor it revs very quickly and I do A LOT of shifting. Without heel/toe I set the lap record in my class at Summit Point.
Mr. B

 

Mr B
My 07 Civic Si comes with race pedals plus for a 22K car the gearbox is solid , Vtec smooth , and it even has an LSD . Some criticize the front wheel drive but the car does feel very balanced and refined at those prices and reliable as can be.

Stardoc -
I have the rennline pedals but did not select the perforated . I picked the the rubber style . It rains in South Florida and did not want my feet to slide .

 

At road speeds I must say the 997 setup does not feel overly natural to me. Workable but needs a little thought.

On the track though I found it fine; easy to do a simple blip downshift or double-clutch when needed.

 

We get a more rain then most people can imagine, I have the rubber style and have no problem with them.

 

Mr B.

I am sure that you are a much better driver then I am, I don't race, I don't instruct others, and I have only been at it for a few years. However the technique that you use sounds like it requires a lot more concentration then Heel Toe, I find that I am doing the technique when ever I down shift (street or track) and the activity is becoming as natural as hearing the revs of the car and knowing when to up shift.

For the sake of keeping the car balanced and under control on the track I would recommend that everyone learn how to heel toe, and when they get the techniques to do with out then stop doing it. Nissan 370Z has a software application built in that will rev match on downshifting, obviously they beleive that it is a requirement for aggressive sport driving on the track.