RE: Achingly cool Mercedes 190 E Group A racer returns

RE: Achingly cool Mercedes 190 E Group A racer returns

Thursday 10th October 2019

Achingly cool Mercedes 190 E Group A racer returns

Bathurst 1000 class winning Merc is redressed in 1986 livery for Melbourne's Motorclassica show



Sometimes, the only justification you need to celebrate a car is how awesome it was. Take this Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 Group A touring car, for example, which has been restored to look exactly how it did for its first ever go in the Bathurst 1000 33 years ago. Car 41 finished ninth on its debut and won its class four years later in 1990, but even without that crowning result we’d all still be drooling over its inimitable styling. Just look at those achingly cool 190 E lines draped in black, gold and red colours and wearing period sponsors. Better sit down…

The car will make a return to the limelight at Melbourne’s Motorclassica event this weekend, where its replica 1986 livery – commissioned by present owner Andrew Miedecke, who actually drove the car during its first Bathurst race – will be seen for the first time. Miedecke said the car, which prior to its Bathurst debut raced in the German Touring Car Championship, was a “dynamite across the top of [Bathurst’s] mountain and down through The Esses”. He bought it back because of the “fond memories” that experience left behind.


It’s been on quite the journey since Miedecke first drove it. Originally powered by a Cosworth 2.3-litre, the car was later converted to 2.0-litre form so it could race in Australia’s Super Touring Championship, before it was then bought by a Brit and raced in the US. It returned down under in 2012 with its sister car, soon after which work to bring it back to 1986 form began. Miedecke’s very obviously proud of the finished results; indeed, he’s clearly very much still in love with this machine.

“It would eat anything else under brakes into the corners, and it was noticeably more stable,” he said. “It was terrific.”


Find a Mercedes 190 E here







Author
Discussion

tosh.brice

Original Poster:

204 posts

210 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
Couldn't you find a video of it in its heyday?

FourWheelDrift

88,377 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
tosh.brice said:
Couldn't you find a video of it in its heyday?
Here you go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V1jozb0NGM

jamieheasman

823 posts

283 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
2.3 6 cylinder cosworth engine? Last time i checked mine had only 4 cylinders....

I need a set of those wheels though, super cool.

Wadeski

8,132 posts

212 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
Six-cylinder engine in original form?

Guvernator

13,104 posts

164 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
I have a massive soft spot for these. I have really fond memories of spanking my old man's one down country lanes and yes those wheels are absolutely fantastic.


Mr Tidy

22,065 posts

126 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
I've always loved these, they're fantastic cars.

I was lucky enough to get to drive my mate's one 100 miles or so in the late 80s. I would have been really tempted to buy it off him if he hadn't already sold it. cry

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
Oof! Them alloys!, check door cards as well-proper bit of kit smile

blearyeyedboy

6,252 posts

178 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
I now have the YouTube classic "The Mighty One-Ninety" in my head now. Hilarious, definitely not safe for work.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
That’s lovely.

kurt535

3,559 posts

116 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
Im in the me-too-cheap-seats......am collecting my 1991 2.6 190e in a week's time...I can see some black wrap on its way smile Have to love the 201's

+1 wanting those wheels too

Edited by kurt535 on Thursday 10th October 21:51

ArmaghMan

2,398 posts

179 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
If I'd won the 170 million lotto......


Dapster

6,869 posts

179 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
ArmaghMan said:
If I'd won the 170 million lotto......

I'd get a pair - a road spec Evo 2 and a race car in DTM Boss livery...




Guvernator

13,104 posts

164 months

Thursday 10th October 2019
quotequote all
Love the Evo 2 but I think I'd get it with the low level spoiler, it suits the race car but just looks a bit odd on the road car.

NNH

1,515 posts

131 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
From the look of the fourth photo, Miedecke had quite a co-driver!

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
Guvernator said:
Love the Evo 2 but I think I'd get it with the low level spoiler, it suits the race car but just looks a bit odd on the road car.
Used to see one regularly at the 'ring in the summer and it all looked quite cohesive with the wide arch body work

flukey5

403 posts

59 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
Doesn't this beast of an engine rev to more than 10,000 RPM? Love driving this car in simulators because of that alone!

Guvernator

13,104 posts

164 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
flukey5 said:
Doesn't this beast of an engine rev to more than 10,000 RPM? Love driving this car in simulators because of that alone!
The race engine does, the road engine "only" goes to 7500rpm IIRC and in Evo 2 guise produced around 230bhp. In race trim they were well over 300bhp IIRC. I think it's a better engine than the S14 found in the E30 M3.

thelostboy

4,562 posts

224 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
Looks great, but curious to know about its competitiveness

It won it's class, so not the overall race. The owner says it was great under brakes, but I am guessing that is compared to those big Aussie V8s, who were in a different class?

Want to love it, but just feel it will always be in the shadow of the E30 M3.

Coatesy351

861 posts

131 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
thelostboy said:
Looks great, but curious to know about its competitiveness

It won it's class, so not the overall race. The owner says it was great under brakes, but I am guessing that is compared to those big Aussie V8s, who were in a different class?
It was in the group A just like the commodores, just in the 2001-2500cc capacity class the Commodore were 4501-5000cc. It's best lap was about 5 seconds slower than the outright winning car (VK Commodore)

Maldini35

2,913 posts

187 months

Friday 11th October 2019
quotequote all
Gorgeous car.

Like the E30 M3 it’s the relative simplicity of these cars which really appeals.