The iconic Mercedes-Benz 190 E Evo 2 turns 30
Wednesday, 1 April 2020
Mercedes-Benz' 190 E high-performance sports saloon first debuted in 1983 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the 2.3-16V. It produced 138kW and 220Nm of torque, allowing 0-100kmh acceleration times of below eight seconds.
A 2.5-litre engine came in 1988, boosting output to 152kW to combat the BMW E30 M3, which was rated at 147kW.
However, with the introduction of the M3 Evolution and subsequent Sport Evolution models, it became apparent that Mercedes needed to push its 190 E further.
The Sport Evo M3 made 175kW/240Nm from an enlarged 2.5-litre inline four so Mercedes tapped its AMG performance arm to help out on its 190 E Evo II competitor. The Evo II included the AMG PowerPack which helped the short-stroke 2.5-L four-pot reach 173kW/245Nm.
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The same engine found its way into the 190 E DTM racers but was tweaked and fettled to produce a hefty 273kW.
Customers looking for a more powerful Evo II but not wanting to sacrifice driveability or legality could talk to AMG and get the 190 E 3.2 version, which used a tuned 3.2L straight-six 12-valve engine.
These generated a maximum power output of 172 kW and let the car to attain a top speed of 243 kmh.
AMG sold the engines and its specific body kits separately as well, for those who got slightly jealous after taking delivery of their standard Evo II.
New SLS suspension could be adjusted via an interior switch while a radical new body kit included a large adjustable rear wing, rear window spoiler and new 17-inch alloy wheels.
The body kit reduced drag to 0.29Cd (from 0.32) while improving downforce and prompted BMW to redesign its windtunnel after BMW research and development chief, Wolfgang Reitzle, apparently said: 'the laws of aerodynamics must be different between Munich and Stuttgart; if that rear wing works, we'll have to redesign our wind tunnel.'
The Evo II met with a positive response in the press. Automobil Revue said on 23 August 1990: 'Even when you reach the critical limit, this four-door sports car demonstrates largely neutral over- and understeer characteristics that are hardly affected at all by load changes. If deliberately pushed, the EVO II can be encouraged to produce well-controlled oversteer.'
Trade magazine auto motor und sport had this to say in its 15/1990 issue: 'The 190 E 2.5-16 is a real g-machine of the finest kind and by far the most manoeuvrable Mercedes. Its softened suspension also provides a level of comfort that can indeed be measured by Mercedes standards and is astonishing for a saloon that is constructed for very active driving.'
Just 502 Evo II models were built over two years. The first 500 examples were painted in 'blauschwarz' blue/black metallic while the last two, numbers 501 and 502, were painted in astral silver making them the rarest of the Evolution models.
Want to buy one? The blauschwarz cars seem to crop up fairly regularly, with RM Sotheby's listing one in 2018 with an asking price of as much as £160,000 (NZ$329.4k). More are listed on Classic Trader in the UK if you want some choices.