A car that can do it all, the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190e 2.3-16v Cosworth. Equipped with four doors, four bucket seats and a Formula One derived sixteen valve four-cylinder engine by Cosworth, this vehicle was made to be something special when compared to the rest of the line-up offered by Mercedes-Benz at the time. Its close ratio five-speed dogleg transmission and 7,100 rpm limiter gave the consumer their own little taste of a true DTM legend, whether they were commuting to work at the crack of dawn or just enjoying a mid-day weekend drive.

We all know the direct competitor to the 190e 2.3-16v Cosworth, the BMW E30 M3, takes the spotlight when the two homologation specials are compared, yet they are very much different machines and one may argue that the Mercedes is the one to have. For starters the 190e was a four-door sedan, where the M3 only came in a coupe offering. This gave the 190e an advantage in the practicality department, while still having the important DTM-derived characteristics. It was also generously equipped with a five-link rear suspension and self-leveling rear shocks giving it a comfortable, yet compliant ride as opposed to the much firmer M3... and where might BMW have gotten the idea for that five-speed dogleg transmission?

Adam slowly pieced together the ultimate 190e Cosworth street car and after many months of turning wrenches in his downtime the vehicle was sent out for a proper restoration-quality paint job in the original Smoke Silver. Not one to compromise on style he sourced a custom set of 8x17j and 9x17j Hartge OZ wheels, which were fitted along with a full set of OEM euro-spec exterior lights.

With the exterior bits taken care of, Adam then made a few subtle changes to the performance-side of the car to not only improve its already impressive performance, but add some extra style as well. The all so familiar Bilstein brand shock absorbers were fitted along with Mercedes 400E springs to give it the firmer and lower ride height that Adam desired. Suspension modifications also included 500E front control arms, larger front and rear sway bars and adjustable rear camber arms. All of this paired with a SLS delete made the perfect formula for a more spirited, yet still comfortable street car. A Strömung exhaust system was also added along the way to give it that perfect sound. Ultimate 190e street car complete.