You wouldn’t be alone in coveting an HWA Evo.R. Here’s a racecar, after all, channeling plenty of classic Mercedes 190E goodness with modern performance and reliability. For now at least, those are HWA’s own cars, set to make their competitive debut at N24 this weekend. But for 15 lucky folk who want to experience for themselves what an HWA Evo racer might be like, there’s this: the HWA Evo R track car. More extreme (and rarer) than the ‘standard’ HWA Evo, more accessible than the dedicated Evo.R competition machine (note the ‘.’ to tell them apart), it’s wild alright.
HWA being HWA, too, no half measures are employed. This is very much the N24 competitor made a little simpler to pilot than merely a widebodied street machine, using the same ‘core architecture’. So the Evo R employs an identical fuel cell, reinforced monocoque and FIA-spec cage as the Evo dot R, plus the same burlier bodykit and ‘revised’ bonnet. There seems little danger of mixing up road car with track car, which will make the decision to have both simpler to justify.
The motorsport influence doesn’t stop with the appearance, either, as the Evo.R gets six-way adjustable (where do you go after high- and low-speed compression and rebound?) suspension that’s been developed with KW as well as H&R, plus ‘competition brakes’ from AP Racing. When HWA says they’re competition brakes, we’re inclined to believe they’re basically identical to those on the Nurburgring grid this weekend. There’s even air jacks, for heaven's sake - if you want to live out retro DTM fantasies, this is the machine for it.
Power for the Evo.R comes from the same Mercedes turbo V6 as the Evo, albeit now with ‘approximately’ 560hp and 494lb ft. There’s a six-speed sequential as well, for full race car cool, and while no weight saving is claimed, features like polycarbonate windows and lightweight Ronal wheels will surely offset the beefed-up bodywork.
Like all the latest generation of super duper track-only cars, HWA will be at the beck and call of the 15 Evo R customers. So as well as exclusive track days, they’ll get access to ‘expert technicians’ and parts should anything need replacing. Or repairing, for that matter. Certainly HWA will be encouraging the lucky few to really make the most of their opportunity, with options including a Langstreckenpaket (easy for you to say) endurance package, air con, a passenger seat, an Electronic Kit and a Starter Kit, with ease of use said to be a project aim throughout.
Despite the look and despite the sequential, HWA suggests that its work on the Evo R has been focused on ‘making it accessible to drivers of all experience levels.’ So no excuse not to basically. Apart from the price, of course - it’s hard to imagine an R costing any less than a million euros, given the RRP of an Evo. Still, a whole lot more interesting than the usual hypercars at your track resort…
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