90s Nostalgia: HWA’s Mercedes 190E Evo Will Race The Nürburgring 24
German engineering house HWA has announced plans to enter its modernized 190E “Evo” into the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Key Points
- HWA will enter two of its reengineered Mercedes 190E Evo restomods into the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours, marking the model’s return to endurance racing decades after its DTM heyday.
- Each Evo features a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 producing 444 hp, a six-speed transaxle, carbon fiber bodywork, and advanced suspension—all built from original 190E donor chassis.
- Development drivers Klaus Ludwig and Roland Asch, veterans of the original DTM 190E program, are involved in testing, while the cars carry period-inspired liveries as a nod to their racing roots.
Next year, HWA will run two examples of its Evo in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, competing in the SP-X class, which effectively has no rules—see Opel Manta Nurburgring for reference.
Built in the spirit of the 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II homologation special, the new Evo retains many of the visuals that made the OG DTM car desirable to this day: squared-off fenders, turbofan wheels, and a simple high-wing aero package. The Evo’s bodywork is constructed from fiberglass composite and tips the scales at 1360 kilograms (roughly 3,000 pounds), about par for a modern GT3 car.
Road-going versions of the car will retail for just under $800,000 apiece.
HWA insists the race version will retain the same basic setup as its road-going sibling. Power comes from a Mercedes-sourced 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 paired with a six-speed manual rear transaxle. Output is rated at 443 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque in base tune, though an optional upgrade boosts those figures to 493 horsepower.
Each build begins with a real Cosworth-developed 190E donor chassis, which is stripped, chemically cleaned, and completely reengineered. HWA fabricates a double-wishbone suspension with electronically adjustable dampers, replaces nearly all body panels with carbon fiber, and fits modern electronics and safety systems in line with current motorsport standards. Only 100 road cars will be made.
HWA managed Mercedes’ DTM program in the early ’90s, including the iconic Sonax-liveried 190Es driven by Roland Asch and Klaus Ludwig—both of whom will assist with the development of the modern Evo on the Nordschleife.
Founded by AMG co-founder Hans Werner Aufrecht, HWA has operated in the background of Mercedes performance programs for decades. It handled the brand’s DTM racing operations, developed the GT3 program, and helped build the CLK GTR road car in the late 1990s. Reviving the 190E under its own banner and entering it in the Nürburgring 24 Hours seems like a logical activity.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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