Only 502 built, plus a huge rear wing and serial winner in the DTM: the 232 bhp Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II from 1990 has long been a legend. In recent years, there have already been so-called restomods in the style of the Evo II, but now a famous name is getting to work: HWA AG, owned by former AMG co-founder Hans Werner Aufrecht.
HWA AG has been established for many years as a manufacturer of successful racing cars and fascinating sports cars. Now the company from Affalterbach is positioning itself further as an independent vehicle manufacturer and has announced the development of the HWA EVO.
Gallery: HWA EVO (2025) concept drawings
The road-legal sports car is a furious reinterpretation of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evo II - equipped with state-of-the-art technologies. Delivery of the HWA EVO, which is limited to 100 units, is expected to begin at the end of 2025.
HWA is combining its historic motorsport DNA with expertise from the present and future. The result bears the name HWA EVO and is an ultra-modern homage to one of the most famous DTM cars of all time, the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II. Klaus Ludwig drove the Evo II to his first DTM title with Mercedes-Benz in 1992.
After the initial ideas of reinterpreting an absolutely iconic vehicle and putting it back on the road with modern technology, the first concept drawings were developed. Designers and technicians worked closely together to turn this idea into reality.
The original: Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (1990)
The HWA EVO picks up on the design language of the classic and fills it with pioneering technologies. The HWA EVO is based on the Mercedes-Benz W201 series. So you don't need an original Evo II, any normal 190 will do. The vehicle is developed by HWA AG and produced using state-of-the-art technology in terms of drive, performance, chassis, brakes, aerodynamics and safety.
In terms of dimensions and technology, HWA gives the following key figures: 4.58 metres long and 1.35 metres high (similar to the original Evo II), but significantly wider at 1.86 metres. This allows up to 19-inch wheels to fit, while the rear overhang of the car is 1.08 metres long. The wheelbase increases significantly to 2.75 metres.
Technically, HWA envisages a transaxle layout with a 3.0-litre biturbo V6 from the Mercedes range. Output: 444 bhp (331 kW) and 550 Newton metres of maximum torque. A manual six-speed gearbox takes care of the shifting.
HWA EVO (2025)
The price of this extraordinary vehicle is steep: it is expected to start at €714,000 (£625,000) plus VAT. The first examples of the HWA EVO are expected to be delivered at the end of 2025. The HWA EVO embodies the present and future of HWA AG like no other vehicle. To mark the company's 25th anniversary, during which time HWA AG has grown to become a major player in the engineering and production of high-performance vehicles, HWA wants to offer its customers something very special with the HWA EVO.
A partnership is being prepared with the company CURATED for the HWA EVO project. The US company is regarded as a leader in the fields of historic sports cars and restomod vehicles and is a profound expert in the market with excellent sales expertise. HWA AG and CURATED want to combine their competences so that the HWA EVO has the best prerequisites to become a great success.
More Mercedes Restomods:
Hans Werner Aufrecht, founder of HWA and Chairman of the Supervisory Board: "The EVO II was a style icon of the early 1990s and set standards in terms of design. Our idea was to reinterpret this design."
Martin Marx, CEO HWA AG: " Thanks to the long tradition of our company, we see the HWA EVO as a lighthouse project into which we can channel all our experience and expertise. This further milestone is a demonstration of our capabilities and raises the bar to a new level so that we are optimally prepared for future tasks."
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II (1990)