Italy’s Mercedes 190E Evo II Restomod Out-Guns HWA’s $770K Version

The Evo II from Vespera has a 3.0-liter inline-six with 765 hp.
A carbon fiber kit widens the car by 3.9 inches on each side.
The debut example wears Montreal Green, an Alfa Romeo shade.

HWA isn’t the only outfit that looked at the Mercedes-Benz 190E Evolution II and saw a restomod waiting to happen. Right as HWA readies its first customer cars, Italian firm Vespera Automobili has pulled the covers off its own reworked Evo II, known as the Iride Evo 5.

Unveiled earlier this week, Vespera’s creation follows a similar philosophy to HWA’s. The sedan’s design has been tweaked, yet remains faithful to the original, and its performance has been bumped up significantly. For now the count sits at a single example, though Vespera says more will follow if buyers show up with the demand to justify them.

Read: HWA’s Reimagined Mercedes 190E EVO II Looks Just As Good Under The Skin, But Costs $760K

A lightweight, carbon fiber body kit has been designed for the car. Although the Iride Evo 5 maintains similar proportions to the original, the kit includes wider front and rear fender flares, a unique front bumper, and a huge splitter. In fact, those new fenders add an extra 3.9 inches to each side of the car.

Brighter Than Any Original

Italy’s Mercedes 190E Evo II Restomod Out-Guns HWA’s $770K Version

The first example showcased in Italy has then been sprayed in Montreal Green, the same color available on the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio. As if this paint alone wasn’t eye-catching enough, it’s been contrasted by gold-painted OZ Racing wheels with a classic rally car design.

Rounding out the exterior changes are a revised rear bumper, fresh badging, and a large rear wing. Vespera hasn’t wrapped up the interior yet, though it’s expected to get its own round of upgrades.

HWA’s wild Mercedes Evo restomod runs a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 good for up to 493 hp, well over double what the original managed. Vespera pushes things even further, taking a Mercedes M103 inline-six out to 3.0 liters, adding forged internals, and bolting on a massive turbocharger for 765 hp and 671 lb-ft (910 Nm) of torque.

Thanks to this extra muscle, the restomod can apparently hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.4 seconds and power through to a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). There’s no word on how much the car costs, but it could be just as expensive, or even pricier, than HWA’s EVO, which starts around $770,000 before tax.