Launched at the 1990 Geneva International Motor Show, the Evo II—basically a DTM car for the road—featured more power over its predecessor, thanks to a raft of complicated engine upgrades that we shall not bore you with (though it did in fact have larger bores over the previous Evo I four-pot).
In total, 230hp was achievable from that M102 2.5-liter four-cylinder, with an increased rev limit of 7,700rpm. Interestingly, that four-cylinder was capable of quite a bit more, because Mercedes said these road car engines were actually carried over into the real, racing DTM 190s, with power upped to 370hp.
In any case, all Evo II road cars got additional body stiffeners, bigger 17-inch wheels, and of course, that whopping great spoiler. Mercedes is quite proud of this spoiler because it tells us the thing was designed by aero engineer Rüdiger Faul, alongside Stuttgart Uni’s Professor Richard Läpple.
It had a retractable flap on the upper crossbar, too—to better stabilize downforce on the rear axle—while the lower spoiler strip could be tilted. Even the front spoiler was two-way adjustable.
All in, 502 190 Evo II sedans were built, all of them in blue-black, and all of them excellent. As it turns 30, gaze upon these images. Any owners out there willing to share their experiences of driving an Evo II? Holler below...
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
