Do the British have small feet?
 

Is it just me....or what's up with the crowded gas and brake pedals with Jaguars? I love my '69 XKE and my (newly acquired) '95 XJS, but there's barely enough space to press the gas without my foot scraping the side of the brake pedal. My shoe size is a modest 9 1/2, but I feel like I need ballerina slippers to drive these cars. I swear, sometimes I yank my shoe off and drive in socks just so I don't need to think about my foot location relative to the two pedals.

Today I drove the XJS while wearing a suit and tie and -- heaven forbid -- dress shoes. Jeez...it was like trying to dial a phone with my feet.

Anyone else notice this?

I know what you are feeling. I am a size 10 and I have the same problem. I think it's also due to the design of the throttle pedal. I fixed this when I switched to smaller pedal pads when I went manual.

Talking manual....... l take it you got all the problems sorted and it now is fitted and working.

Is there a way to slide the brake pedal over some more? Try driving with any kind of boot on...

Cut an inch off each side of the brake pedal on the auto box pedal box. Then put a footrest in the bigger LHS gap! Result perfection!

Greg (size 10).

what? My size 11 Redwings are perfectly comfortable in the XJS. Most european cars have more room because the brake pedal isn't a 4 foot wide rectangle like in American cars.

American cars seem to have too much space and many Japanese cars are too close. I generally find european cars to be the most ergonomic in pretty much every way compared to the others.

The closer that the pedals are the better it is for heel and toeing.

its probably the design

as in a british car the accelerator pedal is on the right ( same as the US ) but the right on the right is next to the outside of the car where there seems to be a little more room, the right on the US car is next to the trans tunnel, and i would think there is a slight compromise with this setup ?? and a loss of space

the UK cars also have the huge brake pedal fitted

BB

I actually looked and the edge of my boot is very close to the brake, never realized it. I think it depends on how some people drive. My sister in law uses her big toe.
I tend to rest my foot against the trans tunnel which translates to as much room as possible I guess.

I have more issue with brake pedal height. A lot of cars have a pedal that is too high, you cant simply slide your foot over, you have to pick it up. for me it results in accidently getting my foot underneath the pedal....

You know, I think you're on to something there. And it's true, the gas pedal is jammed right up against the trans tunnel.

I've actually given some thought to cutting the brake pedal.

The whole problem is a combination of several things:

1) the crowding of the brake and gas pedal.
2) the width of the brake pedal.
3) and yes, the height difference between the two pedals. The brake is high up whereas the gas is down low towards the floorboard, forcing you to thrust your toe forward at an uncomfortable angle.

It's a strange feature in otherwise brilliantly designed cars.

They have been worn away over the years from kicking the Germans in the arse :)

Technically you are sitting with your feet in the passenger foot well because of the RHD to LHD conversion. When I owned a Jeep Patriot , Americans complained that the gas pedal was stuck rightup close to the trans, tunnel there was no room for a foot rest because of the wheel arch. Strange in the RHD conversion & UK speccar had loads of pedal room & we had a nice food rest built in next to the trans tunnel .Well you cant please everyone ...

Exactly! It's a Jag, what the hell do you need a brake pedal for?
DeLoreans managed to change time zones without touching the brake pedal.
A mere frippery, a fad that can not possibly last the test of time.

Ever driven an Alfa? You have to be a particularly agile baboon to figure out the tiny pedals that are offset towards the middle of the engine and once you have adjusted the seat to reach the pedals the steering wheel is up your nose.

Jag gives me more problems by far than the Alfa ever did ... and the Alfa was a manual.

So was mine (sorry, meant ours).
I still like my driving feet to be pointed somewhat vaguely in the direction of travel.

what in the world are all you people going on about?
I can drive my car perectly fine wearing boots. When I take my foot off the gas is slides right over onto the brakes.

I am not seeing the issues anyone is seeing here and have never had any thought about where my feet are during driving, it works just fine.

I mean half of you guys are talking about cutting the brake pedal??Do you drive with your pinky toes?

Hmmmm.

I wear a size 9 and my tennis shoes always get tangled up in the pedals when I drive an E-type (and some other LBCs). I have to take my shoes off or wear loafers....which are not as big-n-clunky as my tennis shoes.

But I never had that problem at all driving my XJS.

<shrug>

Cheers
DD

It might just be you :icon_evil: :D

I wear size 11 EEE shoes. I never have a problem with my XJS and I have three pedals down there!! :)