Ex-Mercedes designer reimagines iconic 190E EVO II

Restomods. Restorations. Retro-inspired designs. Whatever you call them, revisiting past icons with a modern twist is about as polarising as it gets. In Affalterbach, Germany, performance engineering firm HWA is playing with fire by taking on the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II.

But it should come as a comfort to know that the person that led the redesign is Pforzheim alumnus and long-time Mercedes-AMG designer, Edgar Chu. He is credited with working on an array of high-performance models during his time with AMG, including the 2015 AMG CLS63 coupe and shooting brake, 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 and many other AMG road cars; but also dedicated racers, from the 2015 Mercedes AMG GT3 to the more recent Mercedes AMG Project 1 in 2022.

By all accounts, it was a dream project for Chu to work on. “Thanks to the good working relationship I’ve enjoyed with HWA in the past on projects like GT3 and GT4 design, I was involved with the technical package from an early stage. This resulted in a lot of freedom to improve the proportions of the car. It’s a dream for every designer to collaborate like this.”

It helps too that HWA founder, Hans Werner Aufrecht, was one half of the duo that established AMG in the 60s, working alongside Erhard Melcher as a development engineer at Daimler-Benz. The task set to Chu was to reinterpret a 90s icon, and he had to get it right. “You don’t want to ruin the heritage of the design,” Chu explains, “so the most challenging aspect was finding a perfect balance between past and future. Designing new emotional elements that fans can relate to is a different design discipline, requiring precision and advanced surface understanding.”

The resulting concept demonstrator was unveiled today, a track-focussed but road-ready super saloon dubbed the HWA EVO. Underneath the heavily-muscled bodywork is part of the steel chassis from the W201, but everything else is purpose built. It carries familiar proportions and the boxy Bruno Sacco design, but everything seems a little sharper, more angular than before. There is an air of ‘Scalextric car’ about it – but in a good way.

The most obvious changes are the striking LED head and taillights which bring a modern touch to the exterior. Six-spoke wheels are inspired by the original DTM car but are larger than the original – 19” up front and 20” at the rear as opposed to 17” all round – and this is partly why the arches extend much further.

Inside, the EVO carries a blend of analogue and digital: a six-speed manual gearbox contrasts with a digital instrument cluster, although this too has been styled to reflect early LED displays of the 90s. Recaro seats come as standard, and there is the option to tailor a matching luggage set.

There is smartphone integration, too, plus a premium soundsystem and built-in navigation. This, of course, will have very little bearing on those placing orders for an EVO who will be more enthused by the retro looks, immense power upgrade (450PS!) and exclusivity – only 100 units will be made. From the illustrations above, it’s satisfying to see the initial design carry through from sketch to working prototype with very minimal changes.

From conversations we have had in recent years, the idea of “retro-inspired design” appears to be quite polarising within the design community. Some love it, some hate it. Chu recognises this but tempers concerns by pointing out that design should be an enjoyable process, not something that is approached overly tentatively.

“In my opinion it’s similar to creating a movie sequel – the second and third films always have big shoes to fill,” he concludes. “But every time I face a blank sheet of paper with the job of creating something new, I remind myself it’s just paper, it won’t bite. Design should keep an optimistic mindset and push to take action instead of instilling fear.”