Here at the 365 Oldtimer Museum, you’ll find 14 different Mercedes and lots of other culinary automotive delights in our German-themed exhibition. Amongst the Mercedes’s is a 1991 CE230, which is the body-mate of the 190E Evo II mentioned in this article.
It is no coincidence that whole pages of motoring history are devoted to this sports sedan. The street version of the 190E Evo DTM made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 8 March 1990. Only 502 were produced, all of them in deep blue and black metallic. With this much power, downforce is not a must, which is why the Evo II was equipped with a 2-position adjustable spoiler with increased front and rear dimensions. Compared to the previous model, the spoilers generated 21.2 kg more downforce at the front and 57.1 kg more at the rear. In addition, it has a stiffer, reinforced body and masterfully crafted 17-inch wheels. The 2.5-litre 16-valve Cosworth heart, beating under the bonnet, was the outstanding engine of its time with 232 horsepower. It was the last Mercedes-Benz racing engine not yet designed by AMG. The Evo II accelerated from a standstill to 100 kilometres per hour in just over seven-tenths of a second, with a top speed of 250km/h. The engine delivered an almost unbelievable 235 Newton meters of torque between 5,000 and 6,000 revs. The 1300-kilogram chassis has various number of other interesting features, including a three-position chassis. Sure enough, the Evo II’s suspension could be set to three positions using a switch on the side of the steering column. Passenger comfort was ensured by four sports seats in the passenger compartment. Each unit produced bore a unique production number on the gearbox. As before, the gearbox was fitted in “reverse”(dogleg in English)his means that the reverse was on the top left, with the first gear below and the other gears following. The idea was that the driver would push the gearbox forward when starting off, which would result in a quicker shift. The model won Mercedes the constructors’ championship in the DTM in 1991, and Klaus Ludwig added the individual trophy in 1992. The first female race victory was achieved in the same year by Ellen Lohr. Compared to the road-going version, the weight of the racing version was reduced by 300 kilograms and its power output increased to 300 horsepower. This allowed them to reach speeds of up to 300 kilometers per hour. The model was also used in Hungary, where Péter Móczár won several championship titles and Zoltán Zengő won several times. Between 1988 and 1993, the 190E won 50 trophies for the Mercedes DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) team. In 1992, Klaus Ludwig won 16 of the 24 races of the season in the Evo II, giving Mercedes its first DTM championship victory. Even before he became a seven-time Formula 1 world champion, Michael Schumacher himself was racing for Mercedes DTM in the number 65 behind the wheel of a 190E Evo II. The Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II has become an indelible piece of motoring history for its stunning form, racing results and incredible driving experience.