One of only 502 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2,5-16v Evolution II homologation specials has made it to the USA, and you can thank the 25-year import rule for that.
This particular EVO II from 1991, No 345, is not only a very rare beast, but one of the lowest mileage examples you can find these days with just 10,922 miles (17,578 kilometers) covered by a single previous owner, something that is (overly) reflected in the asking price of $279,000 on eBay.
Introduced in 1990, the EVO II was the culmination of Merc’s 185PS (183hp) 190E 2.3-16v series that was born in 1983 and which was followed by the 195PS (192hp– with catalyst) 190E 2.5-16v in 1988, and the 195PS (192hp) 190E 2.5-16v Evolution I in 1989.
Aimed at BMW’s E30 M3 EVOs, It came with the most powerful engine ever dropped in a 190E, with the specially modified 2.5-liter normally-aspirated four delivering 235PS (232hp). Paired to a five-speed manual, it could get the sedan to 100km/h (62mph) in 7.1 seconds and up to a top speed of 250km/h. Those numbers might not sound much today when even Mercedes’ entry level (in the USA) CLA 250 has 208-horses and hits 100km/h in 6.6 seconds, but the EVO II was one of the fastest saloons of its time.
And while all other 190Es, including the EVO I, had fairly understated looks, Mercedes went completely wild with the EVO II. This thing looked –and still does- like it just came out from a DTM race with that super-aggressive kit that includes, quite possibly, the biggest factory wing ever fitted on a production Mercedes-Benz.
All 502 units of the Evo II were produced exclusively in blue black metallic, and at the time of its original presentation, they were priced at DM 115,259.70, or DM 119,717.10 with air conditioning in Germany, which was around $77,300 and $80,300 respectively at the time, though it was never imported to North America. Just to give you an idea, in the US, the Corvette ZR1 cost around $60,000 with all options in 1990 and about $65,000 in 1991.
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