This 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 is #84 of 502 Evolution II examples built, and it spent time in Germany following its initial order by a Mercedes-Benz company employee. It was imported to the US in June 2023 before it was offered on BaT in September 2023, and it was acquired by the current owner later that year. Powered by a 2.5-liter Cosworth inline-four linked with a dogleg five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential, the car is finished in Blue Black Metallic over black leather. Equipment includes a self-leveling suspension, 17″ Evo II alloy wheels, an electric sunroof, a rear wing, heated front seats, a cassette stereo, and air conditioning. This W201 Evolution II shows 116k kilometers (~72k miles) and is now offered on consignment in California by the selling dealer, a BaT Local Partner, with a tool roll, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Montana title.
Mercedes-Benz introduced the 190E Evolution in response to BMW’s M3 Sport Evolution for the 1989 model year, and the Evolution II was produced in 1990 with more power and revised bodywork. Just 502 examples were built, and each features an upgraded aerodynamic package including more aggressive fender flares, a front splitter, a rear window spoiler, and an adjustable rear wing. This example is finished in Blue Black Metallic (199) and features a body-color front air dam, side skirts, wheel-arch flares, and trunk spoiler. Photographs of the paint condition and exterior imperfections are shown in the gallery below.
The 17″ Evo II alloy wheels are mounted with 245/40 Toyo Proxes R1R tires. The Evolution II features a lower ride height, wider track, and larger brakes than the standard 2.5-16. An adjustable self-leveling suspension was equipped from the factory, and braking is handled by four-wheel ventilated discs with ABS. Curb scuffs are visible on some of the wheels.
The bolstered sport seats are upholstered in black leather and feature heaters up front. Amenities include a Becker Europa 2000 cassette stereo, rear-seat headrests, and air conditioning. A previously installed bolt-in roll cage has been removed. Wear is visible on the outer driver’s seat bolster, and one of the cassette holder buttons is missing.
The shift knob displays the dogleg shift pattern and denotes this example as #84 in the series.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a 260-km/h speedometer and a tachometer with a 7,600-rpm redline as well as a clock and gauges for coolant temperature, oil pressure, fuel level, and instant fuel economy. Auxiliary gauges located in the center stack display oil temperature and voltage. The six-digit odometer shows 116k kilometers (~72k miles), approximately 300 of which were added under current ownership.
The 2.5-liter M102 inline-four was developed by Cosworth and features a shorter stroke and larger bore than the standard 2.5-16 model. Evolution II examples are also equipped with the AMG PowerPack, which included a revised throttle body, air intake, camshafts, engine management programming, and exhaust system. Factory-rated output was 232 horsepower. A 2009 invoice in the gallery of the previous listing indicates that rust repair was performed in the engine bay, and an oil change was performed in March 2023.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels through a Getrag five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential.
Decoding the data plate reveals information including:
- 199 – Blue Black Metallic paint
- 271 – Black leather upholstery
- 412 – Power sunroof
- 470 – Anti-lock braking system
- 489 – Self-leveling suspension
- 511 – Mercedes-Benz Exquisit radio
- 580 – Air conditioning
- 620 – Equipped with catalytic converter
- 873 – Heated front seats
The Carfax report shows no accidents or other reported damage from an initial update in June 2023.
The car is an imported example titled in Montana but located in California. It has not been inspected by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair, and it has not passed a California smog test.
