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I actually was able to test drive an M5 with the competition pack yesterday. After almost a year out of my 2013, I have to say the car was very different from my old M5. As I said, I am coming from a 2013 991 C4S. I was worried that the comp pack would be too harsh. I drove the car in comfort and sport.
Ride quality: to me this was not an issue. Even in sport the car was very comfortable. I drove through areas with some fairly rough road. I never felt the ride to be in the least bit harsh. To the contrary, it was quite comfortable without being too "plush". My 911 by comparison is bone-jarring over road joints, the M5 absorbed road imperfections very well.
Road feel: The M5 with competition pack had a much better translation of what was going on under the tires than I recall my old M5 having. Steering on my '13 felt numb, the '14 reminded me more of my 2003 E39 530i. I actually liked the feedback from the steering wheel as well as my 911, maybe liked the steering better.
Handling: In comfort and sport the car just felt buttoned down, more planted than I recall my old M5 being. Decreased travel in the suspension was notable. I never really carved out any significant turns, but car seemed to handle direction changes better with the new suspension set up. Weight is still notable but feels more controlled now through turns.
Exhaust note: One thing I think the 911 does very well is create a sensory experience for the driver. The PSE on the 911 is a key element to create that experience. Much to my surprise, the exhaust sound on the comp pack was much better than my 2013 M5. It was not as deep and raw as the 911, more subtle and refined but the note was perfect. Not too intrusive, but just enough to add to the sensory component of the driving experience. Piped in or not I really enjoyed that sound.
Horsepower: I cannot say I noticed a difference from 2013 M5 as I kept the car within break-in limits for RPMs. However, even with those restrictions, the M5 just blew away my 911. The low end availability of torque made my 911 seem anemic by comparison. I forgot how fun the availability of that torque can be.
Overall: I felt the changes in the competition package added up to create a sublime driving experience. I always felt something just a little lacking in my old M5. The competition package seems to make just enough difference to fill in the void. My main concern was not whether it is "worth" the extra 6000 USD as I was fairly certain I wanted the changes. Instead, I was really concerned the ride compromise would make me regret ordering the comp pack. I left the test drive wanting to drive the car more. I did not enjoy the drive home in my 911 nearly as much. Bottom line, after my test drive I feel I can order the competition package with confidence. In addition, I was contemplating keeping my 911 and having the M5 as a daily driver. After my test drive I decided to get rid of the 911. The M5 was too fun and I know I would not personally need it as an alternate, just don't think I would want to drive it enough.
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