When it comes to Porsche pedals there are plenty of options but one of the favorite choices for Porsche 996 pedals are the aluminum ones which are not only attractive they also allow for terrific heel, toe operation.

Wondering what the heck heel toe operation is? Commonly it is called heel and toeing and it is a technique that is used to match the speed of the engine with the shifting of gears.

For example if you are coming up on a corner and need to gear down just braking and changing gears can mean your motor is running just a tad to slow for the optimum speed for the next gear you need to select. What happens is the engine that slows down even more. This is called engine braking.

It is much better if you can just blip the gas while you still brake and downshift. This will cause the engine revs to rise to match the next gear maintaining the correct speed and causing a perfectly smooth shift. There is no clunks, jerks, or engine braking. It is a technique to use for both up shifting and down shifting.

So now I bet you are wondering how you "blip" the gas. Well that's what is called heel and toeing. There are two techniques to accomplish this. You can practice both methods.

With the first technique you use the ball of your foot on the brake pedal then you swivel your ankle to blip the gas to the perfect point for the gear using your heel. Using your upper ball of the foot place it in the center of the brake. This is the oldest method of heel and toe.

The other method used both sides of your foot. You plant the left side firmly on your brake pedal and leave the right overhanging on the gas pedal. Your brake and gas pedal are both the same height so it makes it really easy under heavy braking.

The Porsche 996 pedals are available from several different suppliers online. You can also choose other devices like the third foot which is quite popular. The Techart pedals run around $300 and although they are expensive they are worth every penny and the NR and Tech-efx pedals are both nice. The OMP pedals are a little bit heavier and have a lip so that you can't get caught under the brake pedal. These only cost around $50 which is a great price. With so many Porsche 996 pedals to choose from finding the right ones for you to heel and toe shouldn't be too difficult at all.

Wayne has been owned and ridden Porsches for 15 years. Visit his Porsche site at www.porschesworld.com to learn more about Porsche 944.