Tag Archives: HWA

News

HWA EVO Proves Safety and Performance Can Coexist

When it comes to motorsport legends, few names resonate like the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II. Last year, HWA AG, the company renowned for its decades of motorsport excellence, offered a bold reinterpretation of that icon: the HWA EVO. But this isn’t just a nostalgic nod to the past—it’s a fully realized, thoroughly engineered modern sports car, with a price tag of €714,000 to match its exclusivity.

Unlike many limited-edition homages, the HWA EVO isn’t just about looks. The development program was unusually rigorous, matching—or even exceeding—the standards typically reserved for mass-produced vehicles. That’s no small feat for a car based on a 30-year-old chassis. Under the guidance of TÜV Süd, HWA carried out homologation crash tests using a purpose-built prototype chassis. Forward and rearward acceleration tests validated seat anchorages, while seat belt tension, ISOFIX anchorage, and rear seat load tests all passed with flying colors. In total, more than 60 tests—including brake, component, and emissions evaluations—confirmed that the HWA EVO is as safe and structurally sound as it is striking.

“Our goal was to create a vehicle that can proudly bear the name HWA,” says CEO Martin Marx. “After decades in top motorsport and complex road vehicle projects, it goes without saying that we demand the highest standards of quality, performance, and safety from the first road vehicle under the HWA banner.”

With safety checks behind them, the development team is now turning its attention to what really matters: the driving experience. Extensive testing has already taken place across a range of conditions, and future sessions will push the EVO through its paces on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, winter roads in northern Europe, and the sunny circuits of southern Spain. Bosch Engineering will join HWA at the Boxberg test track to fine-tune dynamics and performance, ensuring the car delivers a pure, engaging driving experience worthy of its heritage.

Production will be strictly limited to 100 units, all of which are already reserved—a testament to both HWA’s motorsport pedigree and the enduring allure of the 190E legend. The HWA EVO proves that even decades-old designs can be reimagined with modern engineering rigor, resulting in a collector’s piece that is as functional as it is beautiful.

Source: HWA

News

HWA Confirms 2026 Nürburgring 24h Entry with 190E EVO Restomod

HWA, the performance engineering firm renowned for its deep motorsport heritage, has officially confirmed its entry into the 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with its modernized tribute to a motorsport icon—the HWA EVO.

Based on the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo II, the HWA EVO is a restomod masterpiece that blends classic DTM styling with cutting-edge engineering. Now, the company has adapted its road-legal version for full competition duty on one of the world’s toughest tracks: the Nürburgring Nordschleife, also known as the “Green Hell.”

“Motorsport is in our DNA, and therefore in the DNA of the HWA EVO,” said Martin Marx, CEO of HWA AG, emphasizing the brand’s commitment to high-performance racing.

Two race-prepped HWA EVOs will compete in the SP-X class—a category reserved for unique or experimental vehicles. While the EVO already boasted formidable specifications, the race versions have undergone significant upgrades in performance, safety, and weight optimization.

Under the hood, the EVO features a 3.0-liter Mercedes V6 engine, likely the 24-valve M276 with a dry sump system, tuned to deliver over 450 horsepower. Despite modern comforts in the road version, the track variant has been trimmed down to just 1,350 kilograms.

Stopping power is handled by high-performance six-piston caliper brakes, while the car’s DTM-inspired suspension and aerodynamic enhancements—including flared wheel arches and a prominent rear wing—echo the visual aggression of the original 190E Evo II. That car famously clinched the 1992 DTM championship, ending BMW’s dominance with the E30 M3.

Lending their extensive racing expertise to the development of the race car are former DTM stars Roland Asch and Klaus Ludwig, who played crucial roles in Mercedes-Benz’s racing success during the golden era of touring car competition.

As the motorsport world looks ahead to 2026, anticipation is mounting to see if the HWA EVO can live up to its illustrious roots and carve a new legacy on the Nürburgring.

Source: HWA

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HWA Confirms 2026 Nürburgring 24h Entry with 190E EVO Restomod
Tuning

Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO

At the end of the 70s, Mercedes competed in the rally mainly with the 450 SLC 5.0 model, but the desire of the German company was to introduce the 190 E model into this competition. It was this model that was the inspiration for the HWA tuner project that presented Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO.

Following Mercedes’ decision to enter the 190 E into rally competition, the British engineering company Cosworth developed a 2.3-L 16V engine. It debuted in 1983, and five years later it was replaced by a new 2.5-L 16V engine.

With the debut of the BMW M3 Evolution 2 in 1988, it was clear that Mercedes had to increase the power of the 2.5-L 16V engine, so at the 1989 Geneva Auto Show the 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution (EVO I) debuted. Just one year later, the new EVO II model was presented.

Now HWA is revealing a restomod of this model, although the company’s technical director Gordian von Schöning says it’s more than that.

The Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO II brought Mercedes the DTM Championship title in 1992, and HWA’s EVO is not based on one of the 502 original cars, not even the 190E 2.5-16 model. The basis was the Mercedes 190, but HWA’s engineers worked so hard on it that it can be said that the car is far from the original. The donor car was completely disassembled, aluminum components and steel subframes were installed, which allowed the suspension to be mounted directly to the chassis. Also, the front axle has been moved forward by 50 mm.

Under the hood is a new 3.0-L V6 biturbo engine with 540 hp, mated to a new 6-speed manual transmission that sends power to the rear axle. DTM carriages, hubs, H&R balance bars and KW shocks are installed, which can be ordered with manual and electronic adjustment. Customers can choose between steel and carbon Bosch brakes.

When it comes to price, the Mercedes-Benz 190E EVO II Restomod costs 714,000 euros.

Source: HWA

Gallery:

Mercedes-Benz 190E HWA EVO