The all-new BMW M5 high-performance sedan / Courtesy of BMW Korea

BMW Korea is set to clinch the title of the nation's top-selling imported carmaker in the high-performance car segment, defeating Mercedes-Benz Korea by a significant margin.

According to data from BMW Korea, Wednesday, the carmaker sold a total of 4,749 BMW M vehicles between January and November this year, outperforming its closest competitor by 33.1 percent.

BMW M lineups feature more powerful engines with impressive torque than typical models. Given the wide gap, BMW is likely to achieve the top position for all of 2024.

The robust sales of BMW M vehicles were driven by the carmaker's diverse high-performance vehicle lineups. BMW offers a total of 34 M models in Korea, while Mercedes-Benz Korea has 13 models available.

BMW Korea also runs a series of driving events for its customers each year. BMW M Track Days is one of the carmaker's representative annual events, allowing customers to enjoy high-performance driving experiences at the BMW Driving Center in the nation's northwestern city of Incheon.

The German premium carmaker also plans to boost sales of its M lineup with the upcoming launch of the seventh-generation M5 flagship sedan in January here. The vehicle features a maximum output of 727 horsepower and drives from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just 3.5 seconds.

Beyond the high-performance vehicle market, BMW Korea is also expected to go down as the most beloved imported carmaker in total vehicle sales this year.

According to data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association, BMW Korea sold a total of 67,250 cars in the first 11 months of this year, driven by robust sales of its flagship 5 Series midsized luxury sedan. Mercedes-Benz Korea sold fewer than 60,000 vehicles during the same period.

This will enable BMW Korea to become the top imported carmaker, based on its number of sales, for the second consecutive year. Last year, BMW Korea defeated Mercedes-Benz Korea for the first time in eight years. The gap widened this year after the latter was mired in a scandal caused by the unconfirmed explosion of its electric vehicle at an underground parking facility of an apartment complex in Incheon.

“BMW is absorbing demand from not just the young generation, but the middle-aged as well, on the carmaker's growing reputation for driving pleasure and a series of high-performance features for its vehicles,” an industry official said.