Throwback Thursday: 1990 Mercedes 190E Evo II is Up For Grabs
With just over 11K miles on the clock, this super-clean 190E Evolution II is ready to be enjoyed by a new owner.
Ahead of Its Time
The further the automotive industry progresses, the clearer it becomes that we peaked in 1990 when the Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution II was uncovered. The ultra-sporty, ahead-of-its-time compact Mercedes sedan came about as a result of homologation regulations for the racing competitions that the manufacturer was taking part in during the late-'80s and early-'90s.
Instant Classic
The base 190E (W201) itself represented a breath of fresh air and a new direction for Mercedes-Benz. The smaller luxury sedan served as a more approachable entry-level Mercedes model of sorts. Shortly thereafter, with aspirations of competing at the highest level of rally racing, Mercedes-Benz commissioned Cosworth to develop a high-performance power plant for the 190E, with hopes of taking the sedan racing.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
Developed For Racing
Unfortunately, by the time development of the Cosworth 190E 2.3-16 was completed, Audi had already begun competing with the AWD and turbocharged Quattro, forcing the Mercedes hopeful to change course, redirecting their attention to DTM instead. This gave birth to the road-legal 190E Cosworth 2.3-16 model, which is still quite desirable today. Though not nearly as sought-out as the Evo 2 pictured above.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
Evolution of a Sports Car
Development of the Cosworth 190Es continued with a 2.5 version before the German automaker decided to take things up a notch in response to the BMW M3 Evo, creating the 190E Evolution in 1989. The first Evo model was a significant improvement on previous Cosworth racers, but it would pale in comparison to the succeeding Evo 2 that was introduced the following year.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
AMG PowerPack
The 190E Evo 2 combines the timeless Mercedes styling of the era with an intensely immersive driving experience. And to add to the historical significance of these beautiful machines, the development of the 190E race cars and subsequent homologation specials marked the start of increased involvement with the AMG brand, which led to Mercedes-Benz purchasing the Affalterbach outfit and turning it into their own in-house tuning division. Evo 2 models were equipped with the AMG PowerPack, which increased the power output to 232 horsepower.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
Mint
We bring to light the amazing history of the unique 190E, not just to transcribe our day dreams of one day owning one of the special 502 Evo 2s ever built. But also because this particular 190E Evo 2 is currently up for sale. And with only 11,339 miles on the odometer, this may be the nicest example one could still grab and enjoy.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
Skyrocketing Values
The values of these classics have been on a rapid rise, unsurprising to those in the know. And that's thanks in no small part to their relative rarity. This truly drool-worthy Benz is being offered by Speedart Motors of Miami, FL. The high-performance W201 is listed for $475,000.
>>Join the conversation about the 190E Evo II right here in MBWorld.org
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