Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II: wing commander

By Richard Heseltine

| 20 Oct 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II: wing commander

Trying too hard can be worse than not trying at all.

The photographer is perched on a rock, although saying as much is a mite reductive given that it is teetering on the edge of a sheer drop.

The one that he has his back to, the splatter of dwellings below looking much like a model village from up here.

The crackle and hiss of the walkie-talkie gives way to another gentle prod: “Do you think you could, you know, perhaps make it look a bit more dramatic?”

When Mercedes-Benz saw the red mist in touring-car competition, the 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II was the wild result

Okay, right you are. Arrive at the corner, chuck it in, find the sweet spot, and… There’s a bit more body movement than you might expect, but none of the lairy, tail-out shenanigans the snapper wants. Bugger.

Each time it’s the same until, mercilessly goaded by other members of the team, we finally achieve the desired lurid powerslide.

However, this is not some euphoric, almost transcendental experience, the kind you get when balancing certain track weaponry on the raggedy edge.

Nope. This is the opposite of that, more craven apologies to the car and promises never to do that again.

The mighty Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II still looks brutal today

Despite outer appearances to the contrary, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is not a hooligan. This extravagantly gilded supersaloon has real pedigree.

It is not at its best being guided along on its lock-stops. Nor is it overly forgiving should you overstep the mark. It is, however, many shades of wonderful.

Conceived with touring-car racing in mind, it arrived during a period when a certain amount of homologation chicanery was a given.

It wasn’t unusual for manufacturers to fudge – or merely cheat – when creating a road car from which an evolutionary racer could be built.

“Yes, we have absolutely, categorically, made the requisite number of cars. We are models of propriety, of that you can be sure.” Snigger.

Just 502 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution IIs were built; the dog-leg gearbox’s lever reveals this is car 351

Mercedes-Benz, in contrast, took a different tack. It obeyed the letter of the law when it came to interpreting the rulebook. As to the spirit of the law, that was a different story.

In order to understand why this car came into being, first you need to appreciate why it did.

Mercedes-Benz famously withdrew from motorsport following the catastrophic loss of life after Pierre Levegh’s 300SLR was cannoned into the crowd at Le Mans in 1955.

It vowed to steer clear of racing thereafter, but that didn’t stop the marque from appearing prominently in rallying during the following decade, often with superstar driver and hotelier Eugen Böhringer at the helm.

Designer Bruno Sacco’s subtle Mercedes-Benz 190E shape was shattered by the beefed-up Evolution II

It also enjoyed success during the 1970s in endurance events, most memorably with the 450SLC 5.0.

Arrive at the dawn of the ’80s and Mercedes-Benz was planning an assault on the World Rally Championship with the 190E. However, then Audi went and turned rallying on its head with the four-wheel-drive quattro.

Then there were the Group B monsters that scorched special stages in their wake.

As such, there was a change of heart. The Group A 2.3-16 with its Cosworth-honed, 16-valve M102 four-banger was still in the throes of creation, so the decision was made to go circuit racing instead – eventually.

The Evo II’s 390mm-diameter steering wheel is only slightly smaller than the standard car’s

This variant was launched at the Frankfurt motor show in 1983, but didn’t enter production until the following year.

Mercedes needed to manufacture 5000 cars to appease the rule-makers, but it proved a much bigger hit than expected. So much so that 19,487 were made before the revised 2.5-16 was announced in 1988.

The factory went all-in with circuit racing, the Sauber-run Group C programme becoming more overt to the point that the Mercedes-Benz name and logo were now front and centre.

It also threw its weight behind touring cars, with the Evolution version of the 190E 2.5-16 being unveiled at the 1989 Geneva Salon.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s 2.5-litre ‘four’ is topped by a twin-cam Cosworth head

Changes over the standard car comprised a certain amount of jiggery-pokery with the bore and stroke dimensions to allow for a higher-revving engine, the displacement being dropped from 2498cc to 2463cc.

This unit was further refined by Cosworth and produced a handy 204bhp in road trim, but the optional, AMG-developed Power Pack with hotter cams and a larger throttle body boosted this to 232bhp (around 320bhp was possible in racing specification).

A five-speed, dog-leg transmission was standard, as was three-way, hydropneumatic ride-height adjustment.

The escalating aggression of (from left-right) the Mercedes 190E 2.5-16, Evolution I and the final iteration © Mercedes-Benz

Outwardly, though, it was all very restrained. The wheelarches were subtly massaged to accommodate larger wheels and brakes, the front spoiler made deeper while the rear item was raised slightly.

Only 502 cars were built, each in a sinister-looking shade of blue-black.

However, arch rival BMW still held sway in the all-important Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM), but a second Evolution edition was under way before the season was over.

Mercedes-Benz was about to throw caution to the wind, subtlety be damned.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s front-wing badge

Discerning the physical changes to the previous car over the regular 190E saloon wasn’t the work of a moment. With the Evolution II, the transformation was visible from space.

First seen at the 1990 Geneva motor show, nothing about this latest strain was in the realm of the normal.

Sober old Mercedes-Benz had packed its bags and gone on an acid trip, the new look being fully deserving of asterisks and exclamation marks.

Not since the Plymouth Superbird and BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ had a homologation special appeared so outré.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s lower front spoiler and wide stance give this homologation special huge presence

The car might have been of the same mechanicals, but the original Bruno Sacco-penned 190E had undergone quite the metamorphosis.

The front end now wore a lower, adjustable splitter, and then there were the sculptured wheelarch extensions and side skirts.

These weren’t merely bonded on: the metalwork beneath was modified to clear the racer’s 9x18in rims (the floorpan pressings weren’t shared with other variants, either).

The pièce de résistance, though, was the rear wing, which defied easy description.

‘The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is borderline offensive. It looks absurd, but therein lies the appeal: nobody ever bought one desiring discretion’

Professor Richard Eppler, an aerodynamicist at the University of Stuttgart, lent his expertise to the programme, the result being a reduction in drag coefficient to 0.29 from the regular car’s 0.33.

What’s more, despite the inevitable snorts of derision from some arbiters of beauty, Mercedes-Benz had no trouble shifting the requisite number of vehicles.

It had a full order book even before the Geneva show was over, despite the near 50% price premium over a 190E 2.5-16.

Each of these 502 cars made was resplendent in the same shade of Blauschwarz as the Evo I (along with a further two that were subsequently finished in Astro Silver, one being retained by AMG, the other housed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum).

Kurt Thiim pilots the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II at the Nürburgring, in 1992, for Diebels Zakspeed © Mercedes-Benz

On track, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II took the fight to the BMW M3 in 1990 but also faced a new threat: Audi had joined the fray with a V8 quattro saloon.

Mercedes-Benz was in the hunt for DTM success until the final round, but came up short as Audi’s Hans-Joachim Stuck won the drivers’ title.

It failed again in 1991, when Frank Biela claimed repeat honours for Audi.

There was only one season left before the Group A regulations were set to make way for the incoming FIA Class 1 category, and Mercedes-Benz threw everything at winning.

Ellen Lohr (leading) on her way to a Hockenheimring win, helping Mercedes-Benz to the 1992 DTM manufacturers’ title © Mercedes-Benz

The 1992 racing car was now churning out 360bhp, and works-supported teams had a roll-call of aces on the driver roster.

The likes of Keke Rosberg, Bernd Schneider, Jacques Laffite and Klaus Ludwig were to the fore, the latter taking the drivers’ title in his Sonax-liveried car.

Mercedes-Benz had finally triumphed and the 2.5-16 Evolution II was pensioned off.

Which brings us to today, a chilly morning in central Portugal, with ‘our’ car looking about as incongruous as can be en route to the photo location halfway up a mountain.

Klaus Ludwig drives a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II at the Nordschleife in 1990, two years before his DTM drivers’ title © Mercedes-Benz

From the inside, it feels much like any other 190E.

Save the figure-hugging seats and the build number etched into the gearknob, there’s little to give the game away that you aren’t driving a Berlin taxi, at least so long as you are looking forward. Rearward vision is at a premium.

It’s only when you see the reactions of other motorists that you fully appreciate that the carnival is in town, and you’re it.

There is no getting away from the fact it is a bit Max Power, but then it predated that title so who inspired whom?

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s ‘four’ was given a shorter stroke, with optional AMG camshafts for 232bhp

The truth is, the car sends out mixed messages. It looks maniacal, but to drive it is largely unthreatening.

Fire up and there’s no fanfare, none of the aural pyrotechnics the thuggish visuals suggest. There’s decorum, as befits the marque. It doesn’t sound particularly boisterous at reasonably enthusiastic speeds, either.

The throttle is crisp and instantly responsive, and the engine revs far harder than any other four-cylinder Mercedes did in period.

There’s a delicious induction roar from around 4000rpm through to the redline at 7800rpm, but otherwise it’s merely quiet.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s outrageous rear wing and flared wheelarches are unapologetic

One thing lacking from the car’s armoury is torque. You don’t feel a shove until you’re past 5000rpm, and that’s on what passes for level ground in these parts.

Beyond that it feels quick, but performance isn’t of the incendiary kind.

According to the manufacturer’s own figures, it was good for 0-60mph in 7.1 secs on its way to a top speed of 155mph.

The dog-leg Getrag gearbox isn’t the most slick in operation, mind. It’s a bit gristly on upshifts and worse on the way down, although you would need to be pretty ham-fisted to actually miss a gear.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s sombre cabin

The power-assisted, recirculating-ball steering initially feels too light, but there’s sufficient immediacy once you’ve gathered enough pace.

It helps that there are 2.8 turns from lock to lock rather than the three of a regular 2.5-16.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s greatest strength is its handling composure. Its inherent balance on the road is extraordinary.

While you won’t feel the advantages of the aerodynamic modifications without venturing on to a circuit, it displays poise in real-world conditions.

Without playing around with suspension settings, the ride feels softer than preconceptions might have you believe.

Rearward vision isn’t one of the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s strongest qualities

It is the polar opposite of most homologation specials, which often feel as though shock absorbers are an optional extra and your spine is the damper.

The 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is never less than comfortable, although you are aware of body roll even at lowish speeds. Nevertheless, it is far from pronounced.

It comes into its own on fast sweepers, where you get to savour the chassis’ compliance and the lively ‘four’ at its best.

The Mercedes is far happier here than negotiating nadgery second-gear hairpins, when the lack of low-end torque leaves it – and you – feeling discombobulated.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II’s sports seats

It rewards smoothness and small, gentle inputs. Whereas a BMW M3 is infinitely adjustable, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is not. That isn’t a criticism, more an observation.

As an aside, a mere six cars were officially imported into the UK in period, and they cost an eye-watering £55,200 (£130,700 adjusted for inflation). As such, you really had to want one.

Which brings us to the vexed question of whether the Evo II was a better car than a standard 190E 2.5-16.

Under normal driving conditions, it’s a guarded yes. Around the Nürburgring, it would probably run rings around the car that bore it. But that rather misses the point.

The Evo II’s screaming motor needs plenty of revs to deliver its 181lb ft of torque

Visually, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II is borderline offensive. It looks absurd, but therein lies the appeal.

Inside, the only thing exceptional about the cabin is how unexceptional it is, but nobody ever bought one desiring discreet transportation.

It isn’t a DTM racer with token nods to road use, nor is it just another bland old Merc saloon. It is peculiar, and paradoxical, and fun when you want it to be.

Best of all, it hasn’t been normalised over time. The passing of 36 years hasn’t dulled its power to shock, that’s for sure.

Images: Luis Duarte

Thanks to: the car’s owner, Paulo Ribeiro Lima

Factfile

Classic & Sports Car – Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II: wing commander

Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II

Sold/number built 1990/502
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, dohc 2463cc ‘four’, Bosch fuel injection
Max power 232bhp @ 7200rpm
Max torque 181lb ft @ 5000rpm
Transmission Getrag five-speed manual, RWD via an electro-mechanical limited-slip differential
Suspension independent, at front by MacPherson struts rear multi-link, coil springs, telescopic dampers; anti-roll bar, hydropneumatic self-levelling f/r
Steering power-assisted recirculating ball
Brakes ventilated front, solid rear discs, with servo and ABS
Length 14ft 11in (4544mm)
Width 5ft 7¾in (1719mm)
Height 4ft 4¼in (1326mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 9in (2664mm)
Weight 2955lb (1340kg)
0-60mph 7.1 secs
Top speed 155mph
Mpg n/a
Price new $63,000
Price now £150-500,000*