The Competition Package for the BMW M4 and M3 models seems to be getting all sorts of good publicity these days. What BMW achieved here could be called a win for all of us but then again, some claim that this is how the cars should’ve been launched from the get go. We’re not here to discuss where the Germans went wrong, but instead admire the performance some extra horses bring to the table.

In Competition Package guise, the BMW M3 and the M4 have their 3-liter twin-turbo straight six engines tuned up from the 431 HP they usually come with to 450 HP. While that’s a small increase and the torque figure remains roughly the same, other changes will enhance the character of the cars more than you’d expect. Even so, the hp output is still lagging behind the arch rival of the two, the Mercedes-AMG C63 and its brother the C63 S.

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Be it in Coupe or Sedan guise, the Merc has either 467 HP or 510 HP to count on, from its twin-turbo 4-liter V8. In the video below, we get to see the Coupe S version tearing up some asphalt. And while there are some 60 HP and 150 Nm (110 lb-ft) of torque between them, the BMW still manages to be extremely close to it in terms of straight up acceleration.

That’s mostly due to the weight factor that everyone seems to be focusing more on these days. Due to CFRP usage, the M4 is some 100 kg (220 lbs) lighter than its rival here, which allows it to keep up. Take the two out on a track and the Bavarian might show the Swabian a trick or two, definitely having the edge around a course. But then again, such contests are rarely fought and drag racing is still the most common way of competing against a rival since it only requires a red light and some open road.