Quote:
Originally Posted by RealStig
Regarding competition package and tracking the car, my M3 does have competition package and I can tell you while similar arguments can be found in the M3 forums, there is more to it than that. I never tracked my car either, but the main selling point for the M3's ZCP was for me the ZCP wheels in addition to the 1cm lowered height. Now M3's ZCP was less than half of M5's ZCP (3k vs 7.3k), so the decision was easier, but I disagree that ZCP is all about tracking.
First of all, the stock wheels M5 comes with in my view are terrible. To each his own, but they really don't look that good. They look like a flower from a distance, too girly in my opinion and I was never fan of wheels that had that particular design. It looks too empty, I don't know and it doesn't look great when it's a 20" wheel.
Second of all, I heard the stock and ZCP exhausts in the M5 side by side and I could easily tell the difference, especially in cabin, ZCP sounds so much better and louder.
Third, the steering is quite different. The stock M5 drives closer to a 5 series whereas the ZCP one is more like an M3. It's a lot more direct, a lot less forgiving. It's hard to quantify with words, but if you cannot tell the difference, then you are driving the wrong car for the wrong reasons and no you do not have to track the car to feel the difference.
Everything else is hard to really utilize in every day driving such as the stiffer suspension, re-mapped differential and MDM, and so on. So maybe yes, those are better for people tracking, but if you take the whole ZCP package, I'd say 80% of the cost went towards the 3 points above, rest is all pretty much marketing.
Honestly one of the biggest reasons I didn't go for the M5 2 years ago was the wheels. I had an opportunity to get someone to take over my M3 lease flat and I could get into an M5, but for some reason I never liked those wheels. They make the car look so fat and over-sized.
Because of this, I'm most likely going to get the competition package if I do end up getting the M5. For me wheels and exhaust are very important, I think this is how the car should have come out of the factory 2-3 years ago as a base model. I have never seen any other M car where the ZCP package made this much difference, it certainly didn't in the previous M3s. It's probably why they are charging so much money for it.
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Sounds like you understand the CP well.
My options, in order: executive (for HUD above all else)>CP>LED lighting (with coding -- one of the everyday-use benefits) > Full leather > drivers assistance > B&O.
I ordered everything above, except for B&O. Next time I will get the B&O -- the HK is too mundane; its the same as in my three series.
Would not get CCBs, night vision, rear entertainment.