We’ve all seen how awesome an E30 M3 restomod can be, courtesy of Redux, so it was only a matter of time before the Mercedes 190E received a similar treatment. You might have heard of the HWA Evo, given HWA is an Affalterbach-based race team and the 190 Evo is one of the most legendary homologation saloons ever - and now there are proper images of what 100 lucky customers stand to receive. It’s spectacular to say the very least.
Described by HWA as a ‘furious reinterpretation of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II’, the most obvious point to note is that the Evo most still certainly looks like the base car. No backdating or reimagining going on here, it’s just the best the greatest 190E can be with the help of 21st-century technology. So there are some snazzier lights (and no more Mercedes badges), but also bigger wheels and brakes, wider tracks, a lower ride height and so on. The more you look at the Evo, in fact, the more it makes the wild original look almost timid. HWA says that the Evo will be made ‘using state-of-the-art technology in terms of powertrain, performance, chassis, brakes, aerodynamics and safety’, though hasn’t yet confirmed any specs. It’ll have to be pretty serious, surely, to back up the aesthetic.
HWA plans to make 100 examples, which we’d have to assume might be built from less exotic 190Es; only 500 Evo IIs were ever made, so chopping up 20 per cent of them for the restomod cause surely isn’t viable. Particularly as the last one we wrote about was almost £200k. That being said, HWA has stated an asking price of 714,000 euros plus VAT for an Evo, which is currently £613,000, plus the 20 per cent - let’s call it £750,000 to be sure. Maybe they are starting with the real deal, then.
Martin Marx, CEO of HWA, said: "Thanks to our company's long tradition, we see the HWA EVO as a flagship project into which we can incorporate all our experience and know-how. This further milestone is a demonstration of our capabilities and raises the bar to a new level so that we are optimally prepared for future tasks." It is a lot of money, yes, though there really must be no company better placed in the world than HWA to make the ultimate 190E. And undoubtedly a lot of affection for the W201 remains. HWA is collaborating with Miami-based Curated to work on sales and distribution, which gives a good hint at the target market, with deliveries set to begin at the end of next year. Wonder if the fortunate hundred will be allowed any other colour…
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