eBay Find: 190E Cosworth-Based Tommy Kaira M19
East Meets West! Mercedes-Benz 190E Homologation Special Worked Over by Famed Japanese Tuning Firm
If you’re in or around your late twenties, one of your defining moments of childhood car enthusiasm was the Gran Turismo series for Sony PlayStation. If the first game didn’t whet your appetite for exotic machinery unheard of in the U.S., Gran Turismo 2 was an all-you-can-eat buffet of cool stuff we’d have to wait 25 years to drive Stateside.
Those of us familiar with those games are familiar with Tommy Kaira. They’re a tuning firm that specialized in tuning Nissan Skylines to their full potential as high-performance luxury sports cars. Much like Brabus for Mercedes and Alpina for BMW, equal attention was paid to style and luxury, as well as performance. It was a “total package” approach for the discerning enthusiast.
However, before turning their attention fully to Skylines (and later their own bespoke sports cars), Tommy Kaira tuned several other brands. That includes this gorgeous and rare 1989 Mercedes-Benz 190E Cosworth 16v Evolution Tommy (now that’s a mouthful). And it’s currently for sale on eBay!
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About This Finely-Tuned 190E
The head was ported, the compression ratio increased, and a new cam fitted. There’s also a full, true dual exhaust from the headers back, raising power to 153 horsepower. Koni Sport dampers and BBS RS wheels are also fitted.
Furthermore, visual differences consist of a Tommy Kaira steering wheel, special badging and decals, and new bumpers. Tommy Kaira dubbed the final product the Tommy Kaira M19.
As is typical of cars acquired from Japan, the condition is impeccable. And the mileage is remarkably low, under 60K. The seller states that this is likely the only Tommy Kaira M19 in the United States, and we’re inclined to believe them. With that kind of pedigree, it’s impressive that you can own it for under $15,000.
