The Lighter, Meaner, Faster Mercedes EVO II

Some cars are rare. Some cars are special. And then there’s this: number 23 out of just 502 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16v EVO IIs ever made. But before you start polishing your monocle and muttering about “investment grade classics,” let’s get one thing straight this isn’t just any EVO II. This is the EVO II that snuck out of the factory, hit the gym, and came back 300kg lighter than its siblings.

While the standard EVO II tips the scales at 1,340kg, this one weighs in at a featherweight 1,030kg. How? By going full track-day hero: the interior has been stripped bare, leaving only two racing bucket seats and a roll cage. No plush carpets. No sound deadening. No back seats for your friends. Just pure, unfiltered motorsport.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t a show pony for concours lawns or a garage queen waiting for the next auction. This is a car built to be driven hard. Forget about investment portfolios and collector bragging rights. This EVO II is a full-on track tool, engineered for apexes and adrenaline, not velvet ropes and champagne.

Wheels Mariënwaerdt | Concours d’Elegance

This year, for the very first time, I ventured into the glorious madness that is Wheels Mariënwaerdt. Not as a professional, mind you, no clipboard, no press pass, no mission. Just me, my two eldest kids in tow and a camera Why? Because every time I say I’m off to a car show, they ask, ‘What do you actually do there?’ So this was the perfect chance to show them.

And what a show it was. They even snapped a few photos themselves, budding petrolheads in the making, clearly. But let’s talk about Wheels Mariënwaerdt. What is it, really? Imagine a place where automotive dreams collide: from the most elegant classics that smell of leather and nostalgia, to the freshest, most futuristic beasts on four wheels. The highlight? The unveiling of the Bugatti Brouillard on Dutch soil but more on that in a separate post.

In short: something for everyone, and everything for someone who loves cars. Bloody brilliant.

As you can see, this wasn’t just a car show it was a full-blown automotive buffet. Right from the moment we parked, we were surrounded by Lamborghini’s. Not just one or two, but a whole herd of them, courtesy of the Lamborghini Club Nederland, who clearly decided subtlety was overrated.

But wait it gets better. Nestled among the supercar royalty was a Volvo 242, sitting pretty on Work VS-KF wheels. Yes, a Volvo. On Japanese split rims. It’s the kind of thing that makes you question everything you thought you knew about Scandinavian restraint.

The Rebel Benz: Helmut Marko’s 1989 EVO1 Saga

In the annals of motorsport, few stories encapsulate the mix of ambition, ingenuity, and controversy quite like this one. Long before Dr. Helmut Marko became the architect behind Red Bull Racing’s dominance in Formula 1, he was stirring the pot in another prestigious racing series: the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM).

The year was 1988. Dr. Marko was running his own DTM team, fielding a pair of Mercedes-Benz 190Es. The cars were driven by Jörg van Ommen, a capable wheelman rivaling the factory-backed squads, and Franz Klammer, the legendary skier-turned-racer. For a privateer operation, the results were stellar. Van Ommen was pushing the works Mercedes team hard, earning admiration — and perhaps some resentment from the Mercedes-Benz factory team.

Behind the scenes, Mercedes-Benz was preparing to launch a game-changing evolution of its 190E race car for the 1989 season. Dubbed the 2.5L EVO1, the upgrade featured a larger, more powerful engine and significant aerodynamic enhancements. It was designed to take the fight to BMW, and anyone else daring to challenge Mercedes’ dominance.

The Levella Mercedes Benz 190e x C32 AMG

The Mercedes Benz 190e 2.5-16V EVO 2. They seem to pop up quite frequently, but you won’t find one for less than $250,000, at least according to Bring a Trailer. The latest auction on there was on March 13th, and the highest bid reached a whopping $370,000, which still wasn’t enough for the seller.

Now, onto this particular specimen from Levella, a wheel manufacturer in Germany. With the increasing demand for the Mercedes Benz 190e 2.5-16V EVO 2, it’s no surprise that replicas are hitting the market. You can now even buy a full EVO 2 body kit for your standard 190e. I’m not sure if that’s the case here, but what I do know is that you won’t find the 4-cylinder 2.5-16V engine under the hood. Instead, there’s a 3.2-liter V6 sourced from a much newer C32 AMG.