Better to downshift or use brakes?

[scrammer]

When performance driving you use a combination of brakes and downshifts up to turn-in (or to apex if trail braking) but the whole reason to downshift is that you need to be in the right gear to effectively exit the corner and roll on the throttle after the apex.

To stop at a light, it depends how much distance you have and how much speed you are trying to scrub … sometimes it is a nice way to practice your heel and toe in a non critical application … rather than entering a hair-pin "hot" and trying to figure it out then!

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by swartzentruber

I don't recommend full engine braking/no brakes, but engine braking and brakes used together make for the fastest/smoothest slowdown in my opinion.

I only really like using the engine/gearbox for a small part of slowing down. The process of converting kinetic energy (speed) into heat is best performed by the parts of the car designed for that job - putting all that extra heat and stress into the engine/gearbox is not a recipe for long life.
The shortest braking distance will always be brakes alone with no downshift element. At full braking any time you downshift you add extra braking to the rear axle which forces the ABS to adjust the rear brakes to compensate - see race cars with no ABS which spin during aggressive downshifting.

[Rupes]

How boring your drives must be! Personally, I want to hear that S65 blip every time I'm driving. I can't wait to engine brake. Anytime I'm coasting to a stop, when the RPM's get to around 2k, I blip it to around 3k and downshift. Ahh, I love that rip sound of the engine.

Third M3 I've had all have been driven this way without issue (duh).

Do you guys also go slowly around corners to save your tires? Give me a break with this transmission / clutch replacement cost BS. The car can handle it on normal driving conditions as long as you are not abusing it.

[Konig]

Originally Posted by Rupes

How boring your drives must be! Personally, I want to hear that S65 blip every time I'm driving. I can't wait to engine brake. Anytime I'm coasting to a stop, when the RPM's get to around 2k, I blip it to around 3k and downshift. Ahh, I love that rip sound of the engine.

+1. Any excuse to hear my motor!

[bellemastiff]

Originally Posted by Konig

+1. Any excuse to hear my motor!

+2. Why drive a high revving v8 car like this if you're not going to downshift w/ rev match at a stop light, scaring the nearby grandma's and exciting the kids?

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by bellemastiff

+2. Why drive a high revving v8 car like this if you're not going to downshift w/ rev match at a stop light, scaring the nearby grandma's and exciting the kids?

As long as you have your baseball cap on backwards, your windows open and the stereo cranked up to 11 playing them gangsta beats then you will look well cool innit bro.

[pkimM3r]

Its really if you need to slow down enough to use the brakes or if you can just slow down by lifting. Downshift or upshift or not.

[pkimM3r]

Originally Posted by Rupes

How boring your drives must be! Personally, I want to hear that S65 blip every time I'm driving. I can't wait to engine brake. Anytime I'm coasting to a stop, when the RPM's get to around 2k, I blip it to around 3k and downshift. Ahh, I love that rip sound of the engine.

Third M3 I've had all have been driven this way without issue (duh).

Do you guys also go slowly around corners to save your tires? Give me a break with this transmission / clutch replacement cost BS. The car can handle it on normal driving conditions as long as you are not abusing it.

I heeltoe 100% even in parking lots