Retrospective: Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16

In modern terms, the association between Mercedes-Benz and performance vehicles is pretty firm: AMG. AMG is Mercedes-Benz's in-house tuning firm, which they acquired back in 1991.  AMG models are simple: Take a Mercedes, and stuff a big torquey V8 or twin-turbo V12 into it - there have been very few exceptions to this.  AMG will stuff a big beefy V8 under the hood of anything you so desire; I was behind an R63 AMG minivan yesterday.

However, Mercedes performance hasn't always been about the endless horsepower race (currently up to 661 for Mercedes, with the absurd SL65 AMG Black Series).  There once was a time when Mercedes made a performance car designed to win races at racetracks, not stoplights.  And they didn't call AMG - they called Cosworth.

The 2.3-16 was based on the W201-chassis Mercedes Benz 190E, the "small Benz" that debuted in 1982.  It was quite the sophisticated offering for 1982, sporting fully independent rear suspension and aerodynamic bodywork that was quite futuristic in the eyes of the Mercedes Benz faithful.  It had performance potential, so Mercedes Benz began to prepare the car for motorsports- in particular, Group A touring car racing, where it could bat heads with BMW's upcoming high-performance 3-series variant, rumored at the time to be called "M3."  (Puts things into perspective, doesn't it?)

The result of that worked debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1983, called the 190E 2.3-16 - with 16 standing for "16 valves."  It was more than just a multi-valve head, though: the 2.3-16 was a little pseudo-DTM car in disguise.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIenLsbOby4

First, the engine was reworked by English engineering gurus Cosworth.  The M-B 2.3L "M102" 8-valve engine received a brand new high-flow head designed with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, with pent-roof combustion chambers and a centered spark plug.  Fuel management was via Bosch KE-Jetronic, which monitored engine rpm, crankshaft position, MAP pressure levels, air temp and coolant temp to deliver precise fuel injection.  Cosworth also fabbed up a truly gorgeous tubular mandrel-bent header for the 2.3L I4.  In cat-less EU form, the engine made 185 horsepower @ 6200rpm and 174 lb-ft @ 4500rpm.  This engine was a high-strung revver, pulling hard all the way to it's 7000 rpm redline.  The 2900lb 190E 2.3-16 only made 167bhp in catalyst-equipped US specification, but was still good for a 7.5 second 0-60 and 147mph top out.  Which was quick...  for 1984.

The car received a thorough re-working of most other mechanical components, of course.  There was a trick 5-speed close ratio (5th gear was a direct drive!  imagine that!) manual transmission with a racing style dogleg first gear and a notchy, mechanical action.  Spring rates, damping rates, and rollbar sizes all increased in proportion.  Control arms were reinforced, higher-durometer bushings were specified, and larger more durable steering knuckles and wheel hubs were used to accomodate the extra oomph.  A self-levelling function was available for the rear suspension.

Inside, the 190E 2.3-16 was tweaked to have more of a motorsport feel than the regular W201's.  Seating was 4-person only, with bespoke Recaro sport buckets coddling the passengers.  Auxiliary gauges - oil temperature, voltometer, and stopwatch - provided additional instrumentation.

The car also set some impressive speed records in nearly-stock form.  Mildly modified units (with a longer final drive gear for a higher top speed, slightly lower suspension for less wind resistance, and deletion of things like A/C and power steering) were sent on a 50,000km continuous high-speed testing regimen prior to launch.  At an average overall speed of 240 km/h, it took two cars 201 hours to break the 50k marker, and the third was sidelined by a broken distributor rotor arm.  This kind of stability, speed, and stamina was amazing for a vehicle back then; and doing 50,000km in 200 hours is still impressive today.

The 190E 2.3-16 evolved into the 2.5-16 in 1988, with a bump in output from 185bhp (non catalyst) to 197bhp (catalyst equipped, or 202 without.)  Performance was mildly improved, but the largest gains were to be found in the mid-range torque department.  Also, 1988 signalled the arrival of an available automatic transmission, which made absolutely no sense.  Standard on the 2.5-16 was Merc's new ASD system, which was an electronically controlled variable hydraulic locking function in the differential, which actively maximized on available traction - not using the brakes like modern (which is to say, shoddy) systems which use the brakes.

The final, and clearly most evil looking development of the twin-cam W201 was the 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II, which debuted in 1990.  The Evo II was mainly distinguished by its wild motorsports-inspired widebody kit, which blistered out to cover wider wheels and tires and a larger track for better stability in cornerning.  the 2.5L motor came standard with the previously optional AMG Power Pack, which included hotter camshafts, a larger throttle body, and revised fuel and timing management as well as intake and exhaust work.  The 2.5L short-stroke motor  now produced a healthy 235bhp and a torque output of 245nM between 5-6,000rpm.  The 2.5-16 Evo II also came with three-position height-adjustable suspension, controlled inside the cabin.  The base price was a rather healthy DM 115,260, which was quite a lot for a "baby Benz."  Despite this, all 502 units produced (to meet Group A homologation rules) were snapped up quickly.

The 16v 190E's make great projects today - they held up quite well over time (with tales of original engines lasting well over 400,000 miles before needing serious work) and still offer a rewarding, pure drive today.  The car never quite lived up to it's motorsport potential - but when compared with the DTM-prepared E30  M3 and Cosworth Sierras, the 2.3-16 was found to be a little overweight and underpowered - never a good position to be in.

Still, the 190E provided the needed foil to the W201 line - the high-strung race car counterpart to the boring 190D's and gas 8-valve models.  This whole racer-with-a-tax-disc strategy was something Merc never really tried again, going to AMG for the new C-class performance model.  However, AMG's first official Benz offering - the C36 AMG - is a fantastic enough car that it deserves it's own retrospective feature.  Keep your eyes peeled.