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Check Out the BMW M5 Competition Package

There’s been a lot of news about the M5 Competition, but in case you missed it, we have you covered.

You can’t look at a new BMW without at least glancing over all the fantastic performance packages and accessories you can add on to your new car. The newest and perhaps the most exciting of these packages is the Competition Package for the new M5 sedan. Let’s take a look at the already-beefy M5 and what this package has to offer.

The BMW M5

This luxury sedan is already a beast even by BMW’s standards. The 4.4L twin-turbo V8 engine cranks out a whopping 600 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. While the newest models may have lost some fans because of the automatic transmission with no manual option, there are still plenty of drivers waiting for the newest incarnation of this powerful little sedan to roll off the assembly line.

Right out of the factory, this car can make it from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds and can pull a quarter-mile in 10.9 seconds at 129 miles per hour. It comes with all-wheel-drive but can easily be switched into rear-wheel-drive mode with the push of a button, though rear-wheel-drive does knock a couple of seconds off its 0-60 and quarter-mile times.

With adjustable suspension modes, this sedan is just as much at home on the track as it is during your morning commute.

The Competition Package

Adding a good engine treatment can be a great way to squeeze a few extra horses out of nearly any engine, even one as powerful as the V8 under the hood of the M5. If 600 horsepower just isn’t enough for you, though, waiting for the new Competition Package was the best thing you could have done.

This package adds 25 more horsepower and 37 extra lb.-ft. of torque to the already-powerful engine. It also includes a firmer suspension — which can still be adjusted to fit your driving needs — and y-spoke alloy wheels to stand up to any punishment on or off the track.

This package also includes a Sports Exhaust. While it isn’t going to be the full titanium exhaust used on older models, it will reportedly be louder and offer more cracks that the titanium pipes, so we’ll have to see how the Competition Package M5 sounds out on the track.

Of course, no BMW package is complete without its branding — and you’ll see that in the door sills, rear badging, logos and engine cover.

One thing this package doesn’t include is BMW’s carbon ceramic brakes, which came as a surprise to many fans. While you can still add these to your M5 for an additional cost, leaving them off does take roughly 50 pounds off the car’s overall weight. It’s entirely up to you.

You might find it’s totally worth the cost for a few extra ponies under the hood and some snazzy additions to an already-fantastic little sedan.

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How Does the 2017 BMW 5 Series Stack up Against the 2017 Mercedes E-Class?

Mercedes leaves no market niche unfilled. In the last decade, the three-pointed star brand has taken a portfolio that was robust and injected it with steroids to achieve some vehicles that can only be described as neurotic. BMW, the market-leader not long ago, has pledged 40 new or updated models by 2020 to compete with their Teutonic neighbors.

Consumers who love crossover coupes and electric runabouts can rejoice at all this puffery, but these brands are still best measured by their staple sedans. There is no competition where BMW and Mercedes are more evenly matched than E-Class vs. 5 Series, and for 2018, both are fresh and ready to do battle.

More Alike Than Different

Back in the 1990s and early ‘naughts, this comparison would have been entirely predictable. BMW, the sports sedan company, delivers a businesslike interior and better on-road dynamics. Mercedes sacrifices nimble handling and delivers a more luxurious experience for the well-heeled socialite.

Now, however, things are different. Technology has allowed each company to toe the line further and further into the other’s “niche,” until what was a blurred line no longer exists at all. You can take your Mercedes to the track, and you can use your 5 Series as a limousine — and in both cases, life will go on quite pleasantly.

Parsing Hairs

Still, while these cars might both strive to be the one-car-that-does-it-all, they are two distinct products and must be judged as such. To be fair, it must be said that within each model designation there are a cavalcade of trim levels that include hybrids, all-wheel-drive models, track stars and even a wagon for Mercedes fans.

Using the middle-of-the-road E400 in comparison against the brand-new for 2018 540i is the closest we can get to a head-to-head. Turbo sixes power both cars. Mercedes is more potent on paper, but we hear the bimmer is underrated. However, with both cars scraping 400 horsepower, it is a little concerning to hear that the Merc can have issues with braking.

Styling and Interior

The BMW benefits from coming fresh out of the design shop, and so it brings sharper lines than the E-class — which was initially penned for the 2014 model year and has since been refreshed. However, the Mercedes has aged well, and the E-class coupé is handsome on a level only a 2-door, which BMW doesn’t offer, can achieve.

Inside, the newer BMW offers a world-class infotainment system that is, of course, the latest iDrive interface. Both cars offer superb interior appointments, with the nod going to the Mercedes for overall interior stylishness — it’s just warmer and more inviting than the austere BMW.

The Final Word

Anyone who can put either of these cars in their garage should count themselves lucky. After all, no one said full-size German sedans were cheap. The BMW is new and exciting for 2018, but the halo will fade, and if you go this route, know that it offers slightly higher operating costs than the E-Class.

Even though it’s been on the market for some time, the E-Class remains relevant. It is perhaps the slightly more comfortable car, thanks to its comfy interior, but it does feel heavy on the road next to the new 5 Series. Will you be much happier in either one than driving a company car, though? Unquestionably.

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New BMW 5-series Review on Road and Track

By Mitchell Weitzman

“They’re doing a 5-series event at an F1 track?” Was my first thought of BMW’s Back to the Track event, starring the new G30 coded 5-series, at, yep, the Circuit of the Americas, a full-blown Formula 1 race circuit. This isn’t for a new M5. It could be out of it’s element I thought, why not have this in Palm Springs or Miami? Nope, COTA will suffice.

Now for the real fun. BMW invited out some talent out to show us a good time, in the form of Adam Andretti, yes, one of those Andretti’s, overall Le Mans winner Davy Jones, former F1, INDYCAR, and CART driver Roberto Guerrero, do-it-all open-wheel and sportscar man Shane Donley, and legendary track day instructor and racer Mark Wolocatiuk. Their mission? Drive as hard as possible and as close as possible.

So there I was, on a plane to Austin, Texas to drive the new 5 series. I want the new 5 to be good, of course. As comfortable as it was, I was always underwhelmed by the prior 5er, favoring older models in its stead, finding it somewhat boring with little engagement.

So what has changed? It’s a new chassis featuring lighter metals like aluminum and magnesium (no Carbon Core present here), and the new engine family migrated over from the 330i and 340i. There are several autonomous features as well. One such is a lane assistant that will keep the car in your lane providing micro steering adjustments as it scans for visible lane markings and hooks up to following the car in front. When coupled with adaptive cruise control, which will brake and slow down to a complete stop if the car in front does, and then speed back up to your set speed; It’s the closest to autonomy this side of a Tesla. There’s even a ‘display’ key that looks like an old small phone with a tiny touchscreen. With the right package, you can tell the car to pull into or out of a parking spot while standing beside the car, mostly for showing off to your friends. Gesture controls have been passed down from big brother 7 as well. I don’t see the practical use of them as it means taking your hands off the wheel, but I’m sure your date and her friends will be impressed. My favorite tech comes in the form of a 360-degree camera with many many viewing angles. Honestly, there is no excuse anymore for curbing a wheel here. And of course, none of this is standard.It has simply become a tech lover’s delight. Continue reading New BMW 5-series Review on Road and Track →