W201 25 years of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II

Mick Briesgau · Mar 10, 2015

The 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II was an early highlight in the success story of exclusive sports saloons from Mercedes-Benz’s compact class. 25 years ago, this apogee of the W 201 model series thrilled professionals and the general public alike when it was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show. The touring car developed for Group A racing on the basis of this sports saloon went on to acquire legendary status. Mercedes-Benz took the first three places in the DTM championship in the 1982 season with this vehicle, which was referred to succinctly as the “Evo II”. Today, the Evo II presents a fascinating spectacle as a works racing car from Mercedes-Benz Classic competing in historic motor sport events.

Check press release on Mercedes-Benz

Rolf · Mar 15, 2015

Thanks for a great reminder of this spectacular car @Mick Briesgau. I was gobsmacked by how brutal this car looked when it came out in 1990, it totally changed my view point on Mercedes Benz at that time that they were not just a luxury car brand but one that was changing and starting to become a sportier brand as well. Those massive flared wheel arches, incredibly low front skirt and bumper and that enormous rear wing together with those lovely big rims and tyres made this car like no other Mercedes at the time and even made the BMW M3 E30 Evo look undernourished!!

Rolf · Mar 15, 2015

Interesting video i found on the net where they actually compare this car to a new W205 C350e.

KiwiRob · Mar 15, 2015

Whilst this is a very cool car, I always preferred the look of the first Evolution, a tad more understated but still more aggressive than the standard car. It's also very hard to find reviews on, it's the forgotten 2.5 16v.

Rolf · Mar 15, 2015

Damn, it still looks incredible.
It was 25 years ago at the Geneva Motor Show when Mercedes-Benz debuted the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II. Just 502 examples were built, each priced at $80,000. That was in 1990. Adjusted for inflation, that’d be nearly $150,000 today. And that, of course, doesn’t include any sort of increased collector’s market value. So why was the 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II so incredible? Essentially it was Mercedes’ response to the BMW M3 Sport Evolution. Power came from a 2.5-liter inline-four rated at 235 hp.

Top speed was 155 mph and the sprint from 0-62 mph took 7.1 seconds, all very respectable numbers for the era. Compared to the W201 sedan on which it was based, the Evo II was basically a Group A DTM car homologated for the road. It was radically different from just about anything from the automaker at the time. Just look at its front and rear bumpers with integrated spoilers, wheel arch flaring integrated into the line of the body and highly pronounced rear aerofoil. The only color available was blue black metallic. Before AMG became the powerhouse it is today, the 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II was one of the very few super sports sedans that could deliver street legal track capabilities. And it looks as menacing as ever.