![]() ![]() In fact the original 190E 16v essentially launched Ayrton Senna’s career when he embarrassed the Grand Prix regulars aboard one during a promotional race to commemorate the opening of the revised Nurburgring GP circuit in 1984. This agile 2.3 liter sedan was a ball to drive and was ground zero for a small series of milestone pocket rockets for street and track. A Getrag 5-speed, tube headers, and mild cosmetic tweaks completed a neat package. Power jumped to a respectable 185 HP (167 HP US). The result was the 190E 16 valve models in 2.3 (US 1986-1987 only) and 2.5 (Euro only) liter variants. The German Touring Car Championship (DTM) beckoned as a racing series to extend the 190E’s sporting appeal and with this in mind Mercedes looked to the British engineering concern Cosworth to liven up the anemic 136 HP 8-valve 2.3 liter four. And so the “Baby Benz” was born.Īfter four years of global sales success Mercedes began to focus on the 190 as a platform for something more dynamic and sporty…and competition worthy. The 190E 2.3 (W201) arrived in the US in late 1983 and was an immediate success that offered a far more youthful group of buyers access to the legendary brand. A quarter of a century has elapsed since Mercedes-Benz debuted the ultimate derivative of what began in 1982 as a very sedate series of compact sedans.
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