190E 2.3-16: The Best Mercedes of the ’80s

By Jonathon Klein - January 20, 2015

In the late 1970s, Mercedes had begun a fairly successful rally program using a lightweight 450 SLC 5.0. It used a big V8 engine that monstered most of its class. Wanting to continue the program, Mercedes employed British engineering company Cosworth to help develop a new generation of rally car out of the 190E.

Cosworth came back to Mercedes with a 320-horsepower RWD animal, but it took too long to build and Audi had already launched the AWD Ur Quattro cars that would later radically change the sport. The 190E Cosworth was a dinosaur before it ever hit the dirt.

Left with a brilliantly engineered engine and no racecar to put it into, Mercedes turned to DTM to satisfy its racing needs. But in order to compete in DTM, the car had to be homologated and based on a production car. That meant Mercedes needed to turn its racecar back into a street car, which is definitely not the norm.

Still, the 190E 2.3-16 gained hero status as one of the best cars of its time, as well as showing off the talent of one soon-to-be legendary racing driver, Ayrton Senna.

With such a celebrated past, it’s no wonder the 190E made the cut and was included in the Coolest Cars of the 80s video below.