One of the less expected restomod cars out there is almost ready for prime time. The HWA EVO, which as its name suggests is a modernized variant of the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II, has been undergoing cold- and hot-weather testing as it makes its way toward production, ensuring that its traction controls and braking systems are up to snuff and guaranteeing reliable performance in even extreme weather. HWA took its highly modified, C 43 V6-powered 190E project to Sweden and Spain to undergo those test protocols, resulting in some pretty tantalizing info that only makes us want the super-sedan even more.
Mercedes-Benz
Founded
June 1926
Founder
Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach, and Emil Jellinek
Headquarters
Stuttgart, Germany
Owned By
Daimler AG
Current CEO
Ola Källenius
Ice-Cold Icon, Fair-Weather Friend
At the beginning of the year, HWA sent two of its pre-production EVO vehicles to the Bosch proving ground in Vaitoudden, Sweden, where they endured sub-zero temperatures while being driven to the limit on the track, ensuring that the manufacturer’s work on dynamics and traction controls weren’t in vain. The testing also helped HWA fine-tune the EVO’s responses when encountering slick surfaces, including dialing in more or less slip angle based on the drive mode. The systems need to work early – and reliably – to allow the driver to maintain control, and the cold-weather testing should be a big help to the finished product.
HWA EVO Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16V EVO II cold- and hot-weather testingHWA
Given its $750,000-ish price, the HWA EVO is more likely to encounter balmy summer days than the depths of winter, but the automaker took those conditions into account as well. Building from the initial calibration that was fine-tuned in Sweden, engineers took the test vehicles to southern Spain, then further set up the electronics to play nicely with the higher G forces and quicker responses that nice weather enables. The Swedish and Spanish programs followed up on HWA’s earlier crash and validation testing, an uncommonly detailed pre-production process for a restomod; the company says it’s targeting OEM-level safety and reliability with the EVO.
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The Greatest Standard 190E Ever Built
That attention to detail shouldn’t be too surprising, since the company name refers to its founder’s initials. Hans Werner Aufrecht could be better known as one of the co-creators of the AMG brand, which started out as an independent tuner before its efforts were recognized by becoming an official subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz. Since then, HWA has been known for building cars for the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) and for GT3 racing, including for AMG teams.
HWA EVO Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16V EVO II cold- and hot-weather testingHWA
Given the company’s close cooperation with Mercedes over the years, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that the HWA EVO will feature a modern Mercedes powertrain. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, which appeared in the previous-generation Mercedes-AMG C 43 and GLC 43, although it’s got a targeted output of around 450 horsepower – up from 385 in Benz form. Although it apes the 2.5-16V Evo II, the HWA version is actually based on a series-production Mercedes 190E, which gets stripped to its bare body in white before it receives the engine, transmission, interior, and chassis updates, plus that Evo-spec aero kit.
The V6 should make it handily faster than the original Evo considering it could have double the horsepower. It’ll also retain a manual transmission, likely a semi-custom unit considering the AMG-tuned 3.0-liter V6 wasn’t paired with a stick-shift in any of its series-production forms. HWA has said that its goal is maximum driver enjoyment and involvement, which is why the traction and stability aids were of such particular focus to the validation engineers. Therefore, the EVO should be pretty willing to let its well-heeled owners have a good time behind the wheel while still keeping things on the straight and narrow.
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Source: HWA
