I was just wondering who else right foot brakes, heel-toes, rev matching, etc. while driving around town? I am blessed/cursed with small feet and have no trouble at all getting my feet to dance on the pedals. Wonder how the HHR would autox with a sway bar and lowered?

 

I basically drive my auto like a racecar lol... a very slow racecar that is...

 

Being an EMT, and almost-Paramedic(waiting on written results) who responds to 911 calls in my personal vehicle, I drive my HHR extremely hard. Case in point, I bought it 06/2006, and I now have almost 21,000 miles and am in need of replacement brake pads already.

Basically responding to 911 calls is like driving the HHR in controlled chaos. Extremely hard acceleration/deceleration, cornering at high speeds, weaving and stopping quickly all while working the radio and siren in my car at the same time.

It's super fun, but can be downright dangerous especially when people decide they are in more of a hurry to get somewhere than I am when I am enroute to a cardiac arrest or someone not breathing and am already going "balls to the wall" as my instructor calles it.

Fortunately one of my EVOC(emergency driving) instructors was a state trooper who teaches high-speed evasive driving(think 100+MPH police chases THROUGH TOWN) So I got to drive a Freightliner ambulance and a Ford F-350 Ambulance at VERY high speeds, practice weaving in and out of traffic (in a controlled closed-course) and learn how fast I can take a turn without rolling over!

Have you ever seen rollover-type tests done on TV where they have casters on rods underneath the car that take the weight of the car should one or more wheels leave the ground. That is exactly what I got to do and learned how to take a left turn in an ambulance doing almost 70 in a 45.

Think of something like this, but at higher speeds:


But I learned the most about my HHR at Bristol Motor Speedway in June of '06. I learned that I can enter turn 1 at 84MPH before a noticeable sway occurs and the rear end gets extremely loose. Mind you, I hit a top speed of 90MPH, and never shifted above 3rd gear.(yes, I was about at redline) But this knowledge allowed me to overtake and pass a mustang, a camaro, and an SSR. I think everyone should learn the outer limits of their vehicle.

 

I've been known to zip around town in mine on occasion...and have redlined it on more than one occasion.

 

Yes, I rev-match, heel-and-toe, etc. I learned to do that on my 1987 Mustang GT 5-speed (which I still have). My HHR is an LT with the 2.4L and 5-speed. There's nothing quite like rev-matching a downshift with a throttle blip so that the downshift is imperceptible. The HHR needs a dead-pedal and slightly better gas pedal-to-brake pedal placement for optimum heel-and-toe. I've probably hit the rev limiter a few dozen times already

The rear sway bar from SoCalHHR made a BIG difference in handling, it allowed much better control of sway, especially in switchbacks (turning one way and then quickly the other way).

I'm thinking of trying it in autocross this summer at a local SCCA Solo event.

Steve

 

The pedal placement is alot better than what my SRT-4 was, so it's easier. I've thought about trying to make or get a dead pedal. I autocrossed my SRT last summer at our local SCCA events. Miss it now, may have to snag a swaybar for handling. wonder what class they would place the HHR? I personally would find it funny to beat a ricer with the HHR on the autocross course

 

Back in the day when I drove fire apparatus with standard transmissions and the occasional 2 speed rear end, I only used the clutch to get going or downshifting under heavy load. After that it was all speed related shifting.

 

Whenever our little Cobalt/Ion/HHR group get together I constantly see 90-108 pulls on the freeway. And plenty of heel/toe in the city. LOTS of fun. We're going to make another trip up the mountain soon as it gets warmer here. Nothing like flying up a winding road at 50-65 when you probably shouldn't.

 

Personally, I'm a very mellow, casual driver...