What car has the best pedal set up for heel and toe?

[Scoobman]

WhoseGeneration said:

Scoobman said:

In your experience what cars have had the best set up for this - in standard form?

Often I get in cars and my smallish feet wont get across the two pedals...or the pedal height is too different etc.

(Out of interest I drove a new Fiat and Vaxhaul at the weekend and they both didnt have the ´´fourth pedal´´ the foot rest to the left side of the clutch.)

Yup, left footrest, lottery, as to it's provision.
Now, new cars, even if you find a model that seems to suit your feet with regard to this exotic method, drive it and try H&T.
It appears FBW accelerator pedals and engine management computers, on some, don't like your wanting brakes and revs.
I've discussed this on here and another Motoring forum.
I've not yet seen a reply from one who is responsible for design input or decisions on this.
Some might argue it's catering for the "standard driver".

Interesting observation - thanks

[gdaybruce]

Scoobman said:

In your experience what cars have had the best set up for this - in standard form?

My son's 1992 Mini, fitted with a throttle pedal extension. The positioning of the brake and clutch pedals is so natural it's almost impossible not to heel and toe. The other factor you need is a good firm brake pedal that doesn't move too much and isn't over sensitive. The Mini has that as well!

[BertBert]

gdaybruce said:

Scoobman said:

In your experience what cars have had the best set up for this - in standard form?

My son's 1992 Mini, fitted with a throttle pedal extension. The positioning of the brake and clutch pedals is so natural it's almost impossible not to heel and toe. The other factor you need is a good firm brake pedal that doesn't move too much and isn't over sensitive. The Mini has that as well!

Audis are shite for H&T, the brake pedal is so sensitive that you only have to breath out with your foot on the pedal and you are through the windscreen.

Bert

[philbes]

BertBert said:

gdaybruce said:

Scoobman said:

In your experience what cars have had the best set up for this - in standard form?

My son's 1992 Mini, fitted with a throttle pedal extension. The positioning of the brake and clutch pedals is so natural it's almost impossible not to heel and toe. The other factor you need is a good firm brake pedal that doesn't move too much and isn't over sensitive. The Mini has that as well!

Audis are shite for H&T, the brake pedal is so sensitive that you only have to breath out with your foot on the pedal and you are through the windscreen.

Bert

Agreed - my 2002 A4 1.8T Sport had pedals ideally spaced for H&T but the sensitivity of the brakes made it very difficult. My current 2005 Civic Type-S is fine for H&T but the best car for H&T, that I can remember, was a 1998 Nissan Primera!

[trackdemon]

Honda NSX has possibly the most natural H&T pedal layout I've ever experienced. Fabulous.

Misunderstood is spouting drivel

[Festisio]

misunderstood said:

One shouldn't be heel and toeing on the public roads anyway!

This is the internet

Everyone heel and toe's and spends > 50% of their time going sideways on the way to tesco.

[heebeegeetee]

Festisio said:

misunderstood said:

One shouldn't be heel and toeing on the public roads anyway!

This is the internet

Everyone heel and toe's and spends > 50% of their time going sideways on the way to tesco.

I was amazed by the pedal layout of the Boxster, guess the other Porkers would be the same?

One mag said "the pedal layout might well have been designed as a training rig for heel and toe". Another mag said "the pedal layout is so perfectly set up for heel and toe that it seemed rude not to".

Why aren't all cars pedals like that?

[Jimbomofo]

agent006 said:

Every BMW i've driven has had a great pedal setup for heel and toeing.

really???? i have driven a few cars which i have been able to HT with ease, but i have trouble with mine. This has been discuss at length with a number of other fellow BMW owners and it was considered to be quiet tricky.

Maybe i need more pratices.

[Tomasz]

Ferrari 360 is setup for it big time, you'll be doing it accidentally if you wear big shoes!

[Don]

Every Porsche I have ever been in has the pedals superbly arranged for Heel and Toe.

[agent006]

Jimbomofo said:

really???? i have driven a few cars which i have been able to HT with ease, but i have trouble with mine. This has been discuss at length with a number of other fellow BMW owners and it was considered to be quiet tricky.

Maybe i need more pratices.

Only E36 i've driven wasn't great for h&t, but it did feel a bit tired overall and the only problem i had was the accelerator being quite slack. My E30 is the best i've driven for h&t, E46 is pretty good too.

[Scoobman]

Obviously you can heel and toe in many cars.

So the list so far of cars so far that seem to have a partically good set up -fresh from the factory in your collect experience are -

BMWs many but not all E30 and E36
Porkers - Boxter gets a mention
Honda NSX
Nissan Primera 1998
Classic Mini
TVRs

[hman]

wear wide soled shoes in a caterham and you've a good chance to be accidentally HT all the time

[edwardsje]

hman said:

wear wide soled shoes in a caterham and you've a good chance to be accidentally HT all the time

...as I found out on a test drive, scaring salesman and myself silly

[Pigeon]

Mk 1 Polo, yes really.

[Adom]

Don't think i've driven anything that you can't heel and toe in, although the audi's and their totally over servoed brakes do present a challenge.

Porsche have got it spot on, really firm brake pedal with no dead travel at the top and perfectly placed.

[WhatsThatNoise]

I've only driven one car that was originally set up to my liking....The Elva.

This car still has the stock top pivot pedal...
I just added a piece of steel & door hinge.
It just lays over the old one and is held down with a light spring.

Works beautifully!

[Scoobman]

That looks perfect

[agent006]

WhatsThatNoise said:

Works beautifully!

Pretty much identical to how my BMW is set up.

[deviant]

Scoobman said:

WhoseGeneration said:

Scoobman said:

In your experience what cars have had the best set up for this - in standard form?

Often I get in cars and my smallish feet wont get across the two pedals...or the pedal height is too different etc.

(Out of interest I drove a new Fiat and Vaxhaul at the weekend and they both didnt have the ´´fourth pedal´´ the foot rest to the left side of the clutch.)

Yup, left footrest, lottery, as to it's provision.
Now, new cars, even if you find a model that seems to suit your feet with regard to this exotic method, drive it and try H&T.
It appears FBW accelerator pedals and engine management computers, on some, don't like your wanting brakes and revs.
I've discussed this on here and another Motoring forum.
I've not yet seen a reply from one who is responsible for design input or decisions on this.
Some might argue it's catering for the "standard driver".

Interesting observation - thanks

My daily driver has an electronic throttle which has a certain amount of hang time when you lift off and a slight delay when you apply throttle...I believe its all to do with smoothing out gearchanges and so the ECU can have control of the throttle when the various electric aids are triggered. I can drive along in first or second gear at 1000rpm with my feet completely clear of the pedals without it trying to stall.

It makes it absolute crap for H&T though...I'm no driving god but when I have tried to H&T I find it takes to long for the blip of the throttle to happen, I also find the brakes are to sensative.

The best cars for it are anything with a proper throttle thats connected by a cable and with floor mounted pedals.