Epic Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II for sale
It's in Germany - but don't let that stop you bagging a touring car legend
One of the great things about today’s restomod market is that it’s no longer a sea of plushed-up Porsches and beefy E-Types. So diverse has the community become that pretty much any interest is well catered for. Fancy a Lancia 037 that won’t fall to bits at the slightest drop of rain? Give Kimera a call. Ever wondered what a modern-day Ford RS200 might look like? Keep an eye on Boreham Motorworks. Even a car as boaty as the Jaguar XJS has been treated to a restomod makeover thanks to TWR - and the crazy thing is, it works.
All have their own merits and are built by talented and endlessly creative engineers. But one car, the HWA Evo, is a little bit different from the rest. It’s a restomod of the legendary 190E Evo II that’s being assembled by an outfit that’s responsible for some of the most successful Mercedes competition cars in history, such as the mighty CLK GTR, various DTM machines and, more recently, the AMG GT3. So if there’s anyone you’d want in charge of reimagining one of the coolest Mercs ever, it’s them. But what if you’d rather have the real deal? An original car in all its bewinged glory? Well then, aren’t you in luck, because we’ve got just the thing.
Behold: an original 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II that’s currently looking for a new home. Majestic, isn’t it? Of course, the original Evo was a homologation special built to push the DTM’s production-based Group A ruleset to the limit. It was lower, wider, and powered by a high-revving 2.5-litre engine designed to give the 190E an edge on track. Admittedly, it wasn’t quick enough to back a title, but regular race wins prompted Mercedes to have a rethink and prepare a quicker, more radical Evo II for 1990.
The changes were obvious from the moment you laid eyes on it. The bodywork was now more aggressive, with sculpted wheel arches contrasting against the 190E’s angular silhouette and a massive splitter sticking out of the front bumper. The wing, already sizeable on the Evo I, was now sat (at the very least) twice as tall as the old model, both providing more downforce and cutting drag to 0.29cd. The resulting shape is one of the most distinctive of the Group A era, and shows how far you can take a family saloon if there are races to be won.
However, Mercedes would be sharing a grid with three other German car giants (plus a handful of other manufacturers), all with their eyes firmly set on a DTM championship and vast bank accounts to help them achieve it. Audi’s V8 Quattro would be the class of the field in both 1990 and 1991, but the Evo II’s day would come in 1992, when Klaus Ludwig took Merc’s mega wing monster (the one with the epic part black, part silver livery) to the title. And with it, the Evo II was cemented as a DTM legend, driving demand for the road-going car up exponentially.
That means you’ll need a whole lot of spare change to get your hands on the car we have for sale here. Chassis 273 here has been with its previous owner for the last 20 years, and it appears to have been time well spent given it’s covered 53,190 miles. A good run, that, but it’s the time has come for this Evo II to find a new owner. The cost of entry is 325,000 euros (roughly £282,000) and because it’s in Germany, you’ll need to factor in the cost for importing it here plus tax - so cheap it ain't. But Mercedes made just 502 of them, of which only a handful are believed to have come to the UK. So why hang about waiting for one to come along when you could get your mitts on this one now? Cheaper than an HWA Evo, too...
king lovely thingI remember seeing a 190E Evo II prepared, I believe, by Andy Rouse, grinding to a halt at the bottom of Paddock Hill Bend with flames coming from its exhaust. Turns out it had snapped its timing belt / chain. I hate to think what the repair bill would be. Did look good, though, even in its stranded state.
TX.
I know David Cironi drove one a little while ago and was underwhelmed, but for looks and attitude I m not sure there are many other homologation touring cars I d prefer. Unfortunately they ve always been expensive, more than E30 Sport Evos and even B6 3.5S for as long as I can remember
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