Here’s how you build a £715k version of the wild Mercedes 190E Evo II

Note: no Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo IIs were harmed in the making of this super-exclusive recreation. Can’t say the same for a bunch of regular W201s, though. 

Welcome (back) to HWA AG’s rather extraordinary – and rather expensive – take on Merc’s bewinged hero. You’ll know all about HWA, and you’ll know all there is to know about the original Benz Evo II. What you might not know are the lengths the former has gone to recreate the latter for the modern age.

“The HWA Evo is far more than just a ‘restomod’,” said HWA boss Gordian von Schöning. And here’s why.

The entire process begins with a “hand-selected”, regular Mercedes-Benz 190 – itself a massively overengineered beauty designed by the late, great Bruno Sacco – which is then likely admired, had its tyres kicked a bit, subjected to a few ‘hmms’ and then mercilessly stripped to its very core.

Even more mercilessly, HWA then completely chops out the front and rear sections of the chassis (via means of a massive, motorsport-spec hacksaw, we're imagining), replacing them with bespoke motorsport-spec aluminium and high-strength steel subframes.

The front axle is then moved forward by 50mm, the steel midsection is thoroughly reinforced, and the entire skeleton is electro-coated for “OEM-level corrosion protection”. No rusty sills looming for this one.

Why bother with hacksawing the chassis? So the Mercedes 3.0-litre biturbo V6 can be mounted as far back and as low as possible. So the six-speed manual gearbox can be relocated to the back of the car. So the suspension can be mounted directly to the chassis structure.

And in short, it means the 190 becomes a front-mid-engined super saloon, boasting “more than double the torsional stiffness” of the original Evo II. HWA reckons it's on par with a modern supercar.

Hence why it needs a beefy powerplant. The turbo V6 – which we reckon is likely Merc's M276 – has been completely stripped and outfitted with new cooling, revised turbos, and a slight repackage. HWA reckons on over 450bhp.

Hence why it needs bespoke, DTM-derived wishbones and billet-machined wheel carriers. Why it needs KW dampers – manual or electronically adjustable depending on your own spec – and why it needs high-spec Brembo brakes available in either steel or carbon ceramic. And why it’s collaborated with Bosch to create bespoke ECU and ESP systems.

All of this is then encased in a full, bespoke carbon body. That means new doors. A new roof. Full front and rear ‘single’ structures manufactured just for these 100 cars. 

Speaking of which, nearly all of the 100 cars have been reserved, with each one starting from €714k (around £715k including VAT).

“Not only have we called upon our own decades of experience at the cutting edge of motorsport and supercar production, but we have leveraged techniques and partnerships that would normally only be found at major OEM level to ensure our car is worthy of the Evo name,” Schöning added.

Cutting edge, yes, just not through any of the original 190 Evo IIs, remember.