This Car Shouldn't Have Worked. How did it Beat Everyone?

automobilistic
automobilistic
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Published 2024-07-20
Mercedes in the 1980s had a pretty good idea of what their cars should be. Well built, dependable, comfortable cars presented as a convertible, saloon, estate or maybe even a coupe if you’re feeling adventurous. They weren’t boring exactly, but not many people had their pants set alight by the W126 S-class, despite its excellence. And oh yeah, they also made this… This is the story of the Mercedes 190E 2.5 16 Evo 2.

If this video feels familiar, its not deja vu. Just over a year ago I published a video about this car, however the information in it was fundamentally flawed, and it has since been unlisted (it can be found here:    • Mercedes 190E Evo II (old)   ). This video uses parts of the original script, but large sections have been re-written to fix inaccuracies and better tell the story of this legendary machine.

Written by: Fred Knight
Edited by: JD Minny ( ‪@jdminny‬ )

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Sources: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1zVVh8urpsOnQSnCR6U…
All Comments (21)
  • @automobilistic
    If this video feels familiar, its not deja vu. Just over a year ago I published a video about this car, however the information in it was flawed, and it has since been unlisted. This video uses parts of the original script, but large sections have been re-written to fix inaccuracies and better tell the story of this legendary machine!
  • @C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13
    According to James May, Martin Brundle said it was the finest rear drive chassis he'd ever driven.
  • @AlmosRIF
    the 190e was a car you would thin isn't that insane but was just crazy, always love seeing it in games and vids
  • @ora2j251
    I miss the sound of old 16v 4 bangers. The sound of the Cosworth 2.3-16 and 2.5-16 is probably one of my favorite ever. It just sounds angry and fast.
  • @AlteredCarbons
    i had a chance to buy a crashed 1992 mercedes amg 560 sec amg hammer, for like 5k, easy damage repair too. this was 1999 when i was looking for my first car. i wanted it so bad, but my dad convinced me not to buy it. i been salty ever since.
  • @devscally
    Fabulous video about a fabulous car. I especially appreciate all the old race footage. Liveries back then were just beautiful.
  • @wesw9586
    Friend had a U.S. spec 190E. Car was a little tank. Had half a bajillion miles on it and still ran good. He spent a few bucks on a wiper motor, only real work beyond basic maintenance it ever really needed. I imagine it would be alive today had it not been hit by a dump truck.
  • @lilhaxxor
    What is this madness ?! You're not yet at 100k subs !? 😮 The best, high quality, entertaining, mostly accurate, historical racing channel on YouTube... life is unfair. 😢
  • @SaabJitsu
    7 or so years ago I needed a car for when my friends and family came in from out of town. Was just looking for something big to haul 5 people and stuff and happened across an '88 420 SEL. Possibly the best riding car I've ever owned. Still super quiet inside and seats that just cradled you as you rode. Nuked the transmission trying to use it as a tractor. It didn't like that at all and sold it. Now you got me wanting another W126 lol great video
  • @merobo5066
    Great video. Fyi, "Diepholz" is pronounced more like "deep holz", the ph is not a stand in for an f there, it's the end of one syllable and the start of another, but that's hardly something you could've known, especially considering that this track isn't exactly the most well known Edit: Also it's Hans-Joachim Stuck, Hans Stuck is his father who was also a successful racing driver especially known for being good at hillclimbs (so much so that he got called "Bergkönig", "King of the Mountain"). Admittedly this is a mix up that happens often to English speakers (e.g. English DTM commentary) but it's worth pointing out
  • @willyoung164
    I realized as I was watching this that in my hot wheels display, I have a Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti, the 1994 Mercedes dtm car that replaced the 190e, and a sierra cosworth. now I really have to find a 190e to go with them
  • @SMlFFY85
    A black street legal version is possibly the most menacing car ever made.
  • @JohnCharb87
    I remember this car from Gran Turismo 4. That rear wing was ridiculous and stood out. Used it a lot.
  • @olivergould3878
    Had the pleasure of going to school in a 190E for a year not sure what variant model it was definitely wasn't a Cosworth or Evo2 but loved the wooden interior it had and the single wiper.
  • @MilfordHeavenMercadoPach-im7jk
    'Why i should't bmw: 190E evolution II is it' let me say automobilistic that i somehow feel regretful not knowing this merc a lot sooner has been corrected dude as now any chances to have one irl are imposible but at least can dream about it 😅😅😅 anyway thanks for this video and have a nice weakend bye now. P.S Hey automobilistic i have request to add is ford mustang in gt racing during late 90s for future video and ohhh my lord that crash at 9:45 mark is really scary to watch i hope the racers are
  • @OZ-600-
    You prononced dtm perfectly.
  • @MrPeterheveran
    I've always had a soft spot for the Karcher sponsored 65 from 1990.
  • @robbyk5266
    As much of a monster and fantastic machine the 190e evo 2 is, it was more AMG and Cosworth than it was a Mercedes and it was an answer to and liberally borrowed from the winningest DTM car ever, the BMW E30 M3.