Heel-toe shifting in R8 - Questions

[kthacher]

I was wondering how many of you guys use heel-toe shifting in daily driving. I have not been and want to get better at the technique, so I had some questions for those that are requlars at it.

How well set-up are the pedals in the R8 for the technique? Any special tips that are particular to the R8? Is this worth caring about for daily driving?

[gazza1]

On the track always every time.Find the R8 quite accommodating and not particularly difficult with the pedal arrangement.

Very rare on the street unless I am high up in the rev range changing down aggressively.

As a side note my R8 mechanic at the dealership has put a bit of time into tweaking the gearbox linkages and produced one of the slickest and smoothest manual box's I have ever driven.

Vast improvement on factory standard.

[swansailor]

I was wondering how many of you guys use heel-toe shifting in daily driving. I have not been and want to get better at the technique, so I had some questions for those that are requlars at it.

How well set-up are the pedals in the R8 for the technique? Any special tips that are particular to the R8? Is this worth caring about for daily driving?

I heel and toe all of the time (note: my R8 is R-tronic but all of my other cars are MT). I don't know if it is worth "caring about" but for me it is now completely automatic (a learned reflex) and, on the occasions that I have driven an R8 MT I had no trouble with the pedal arrangement. I suspect that, if you drive aggressively it IS worth caring about since it lessens strain and wear on the clutch and transmission.

[SteveR]

I have been working on this all year and had a real hard time with it in my S4 at first. Unless the brakes were fully depressed (uncommon for me even at the track), the brake pedal is too far above and away from the gas pedal to easily reach it.

The R8 is entirely different. Heel-toe braking was very natural in the R8 even under fairly light braking and rev matching is much easier than in my S4 for some reason. The heel-toe experience in an R8 is nothing less than sublime.

I now have aftermarket pedals in my S4 and heel-toe most of the time unless I am coasting to a stop. It will become second nature after a while, which it will need to be if you want use the technique at the track without wasting too much of your concentration on it. And, it is just plain fun to hear the blip as you smoothly downshift for a corner, then power on at will as you are already in gear.

[Bodhii]

I find HEEL & TOE extremely natural with the R8. It is the best I have ever seen right out of the box. Better than Porsche Cup cars. I never use it on streets unless it is hard driving, winding, isolated road hiway stuff. I can't imagine finding the circumstances on normal city streets where streets would turn regularly enough without also stopping often, to be a productive learning situation. You really need winding roads, without regular stopping, I think, to really get a learned feeling for whats going on.

Gazza,

As a side note my R8 mechanic at the dealership has put a bit of time into tweaking the gearbox linkages and produced one of the slickest and smoothest manual box's I have ever driven.

plz, plz, plz, tell me more!!!

[trincap]

I am a semi user around town. Always use it when driving hard and always on the track but honestly I can be lazy just going to the office. When I say semi I mean I always rev match and blip throttle on a down shift but when coming to a stop sign or red light do I go through the gears and blip each time? Uh, no not around town.

[gazza1]

Bodhii..unsure of where he puts his attention(on the box or at the shifter?).

But there has to be somewhere to tweak as he now makes a point of asking me and it always comes back better.

Should also mention that the guy who does all the work on my R8 would not be your standard type Audi mechanic.

He is American and been highly trained thru the VW group in the states before moving here to live...a certified Veyron mechanic no less.

[Bodhii]

Gazza, good for you to have such a wizard tech. I am wondering if you are still using the gated shifter plate? I hate that **** thing. But I am sure it saves many many mis shifts, and thus engines by discouraging fast shifts, especially downshifts. But I would love to feel the pure R8 linkage without it. On the track I often try to get into the Zen of shifting so I can separate the feel and smoothness of shifter away from the obnoxious clinking metal plate. Its great while I keep the good focus. But I am yet to be a true R8 Zen shift master by any measure. LOL

Just call me Grasshopper.

[gazza1]

Like wise Bodhii..i still try and master my shifts and that's what I love about the manual R8.Constant improvement and the satisfaction of getting it right more times than not

Unlike my GT-R DSG box..which doesn't allow you to improve your shifts as its so **** perfect every time.Flap a paddle and its done.

Still have the gate plate in and won't remove it!

Next time you take your car in get them to take a look at the linkages and see what they can do... as any notchy ness has gone from mine

[harrison]

You really must be a super driver with a stick. I can downshift three gears quicker than a manual moves ONE gear. SO R-troniks just BLOW sticks away on the track,and the street ( for most drivers).Now we're at the old dilemna AGAIN ! I think I know which is better for me,and puts a big smile on my face-R-TRONIK !!