Heel-toeing to 1st gear?

G

ga41

Veteran
 Paphos
Can you do it? I can heel-toe pretty reliably at all gears except 2-->1. Can someone advise me on the proper technique or offer any other advice?

Thanks :thumbsup:
 
I don't think I know of any corners where I need to shift into 1st, and I don't bother changing down gear if I'm simply coming to a halt - so don't ever have the need to do it.
 
mmm-five said:
I don't think I know of any corners where I need to shift into 1st, and I don't bother changing down gear if I'm simply coming to a halt - so don't ever have the need to do it.
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We dont have any tracks here in Cyprus so i do a lot of mountain carving and on some routes there are a few very tight 1st gear hairpins. I can take them on 2nd but the exit is a bit gutless... If i can learn how to heel-toe to first i'd definitely use it. Not very often for sure but i would do it.
 
I can select first while coasting to a halt but can never seem to manage to heel-toe to first. If what you say is true then i guess there's no way for it done...
 
Z4 Beemer said:
I thought the car had to be stationary to select 1st gear... :?
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:thumbsup: Stationary or very close. You *can* get it to go into first before you stop, but if you let the clutch out, it will lurch.
 
ga41 said:
I can select first while coasting to a halt but can never seem to manage to heel-toe to first. If what you say is true then i guess there's no way for it done...
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Yeah I'd say selecting first on the move is very rarely done. Sounds like you need a supercharger to help propel you out of those second gear turns :thumbsup:
 
The pedals seem to be spaced so I can't heel toe ?

I never change down to first while the car is still moving - its far too touchy. Second is quite good for that, but is a bit low on torque at rolling speeds.
 
Saw a review on french tv few years ago and the driver said that the pedals where a little to far away from each other to really used perfectly on track heel toe etc.
 
You get used to them. I can heel-toe pretty reliably now (apart from first which is why i asked here :P )
 
noxas said:
Not even the best of the best can do this well.
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Well the best didnt become the best without trying. :D

Anyway after seeing the replies here i dont that it is even physically possible to downshift to 1st while driving. When coasting at slow speeds it can (i do it) but going faster, probably not...
 
I too didn't think you could go into 1st on the move... Why not carry more speed through the corner hence exiting in the sweat spot of 2nd gear's power band.
 
I'm not sure about this, but I think you need to double clutch to go from 2 to 1. Could that be the reason?
 
flatout said:
I too didn't think you could go into 1st on the move... Why not carry more speed through the corner hence exiting in the sweat spot of 2nd gear's power band.
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Public roads, crazy people driving on both lanes. I'd rather carry less speed in a corner than the car could handle than not being able to stop in time in case something bad pops up on the other side of that blind turn...

If i can see the whole corner then i carry more speed. The car's limits are still higher than mine anyway.
 
Erhan said:
I'm not sure about this, but I think you need to double clutch to go from 2 to 1. Could that be the reason?
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Never tried double clutching.. Only do that on my father's 40 year old Land Rover!
 
heel toe to first imo is impossible u go in to a corner with to much speed to do it. u want the best heel toe video an foot technique in the world then watch this video from god himself.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/senna-shoes-2010-07-28

u cant get better then him
 
ZM4000 said:
heel toe to first imo is impossible u go in to a corner with to much speed to do it. u want the best heel toe video an foot technique in the world then watch this video from god himself.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/senna-shoes-2010-07-28

u cant get better then him
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The interesting thing in that video is the amount of stabbing of the throttle he did while balancing the car in a corner.
 
heel and toe to first should be no different than in other gears, except that you might have to accelerate more than usual, due to the larger rev difference between 1st and 2nd gear. Needless to say that it'll only work if you are at speeds in which 1st gear can actually be used. :thumbsup:
 
If you double declutch, you should be able easily to change into first at 20mph. I think that's about as fast as you can change down into first whilst still having a useful part of the rev range available to accelerate through before changing back up to second. I not sure how possible it would be to heel-and-toe into first as everything is a little frenetic already with that amount of torque and rpm in that gear.
 
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