Mercedes Benz 190e-16v Cosworth 5-speed manual transmission, black on black

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Initially developed in collaboration with Cosworth for the 1980s rally scene, he flagship version of the 190E series eventually went on to dominate track-racing and ended up on roads as well, utting up a good fight against BMW's iconic M3. Even though nine times out of ten, eople would choose the Bimmer over the Merc, he 190E Cosworth's underdog status makes it an equally appealing car. As Richard Hammond put it: "it was Cinderella, ut the coach never came".

But let's take it from the start. In the late '70s, he V8-powered 450SLC rally car started to show the signs of aging, o the Stuttgart automaker decided to replace it with a compact model. Jointly developed with Cosworth, he 190E never made to rallying though, s Audi took everyone by surprise with the Quattro, eaturing four-wheel drive and a turbocharged engine. Mercedes' management didn't want to fight a battle it couldn't win so instead, hey competed in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM).

Motorsport regulations stated that, n order for a racecar to be homologated, here had to be a road-going version. So, t the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, ercedes unveiled the 190E 2.3-16 Cosworth. It couldn't have been a better time for this, s just one month earlier, hree Cosworth prototypes set a number of world speed records at the Nardo (Italy) oval, fter being driven non-stop for over 50,000 km (31,069 miles).

According to the plan, he distance was to be covered in 8 days, t an average speed of 240 km/h (149 mph). Six pilots drove in 2 and a half hour shifts and completed the task in exactly 201 hours, 9 minutes and 43 seconds.

More amazing was the fact that all three cars finished without breaking down, nly needing routine maintenance and, f course, efueling.

The heart of the production 190E 2.3-16 was the four-cylinder Cosworth engine, ased on the 136 hp 2.3-liter stock Mercedes powertrain. It was made from a light alloy, itted with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. The British engineers made the valves as large as they could be for the given displacement and also used a Bosch K-Jetronic injection system.

The 2.3-16 delivered 185 hp at 6,200 rpm and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) at 4,500 rpm, asily revving up to the 7,000 rpm redline. It was pretty fast for its time reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) from standstill in 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h (143 mph). Due to stricter emission regulations, .S.-spec models had a slightly weaker engine, ated at 167 hp and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft).

The power was sent to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual Getrag transmission with a racing gear pattern. That meant it had a "dog-leg" first gear, eft and down from neutral. The steering ratio was shortened, or added precision, hile the steering wheel itself had a smaller diameter.

With a 0.32 drag coefficient, he 190E Cosworth set a new world record for the time. It was also a car that showcased many advanced engineering solutions, uch as an electronically controlled limited-slip differential (LSD) and self-leveling hydraulic suspension on the rear axle.

Inside, eather-clad Recaro sports seats provided ample support during fast cornering, longside the aggressively shaped rear bench, hile the instrument panel had additional gauges - oil temperature, oltmeter and stop watch. Only two exterior colors were available, he Blue-Black metallic and Smoke Silver.

The 1986 Mercedes Benz 190e-16v Cosworth up for auction is an original, lack on black, -speed classic. It has not been modified or hot-rodded. I purchased the car from its second owner last year, nd immediately sent it to a Mercedes specialist for servicing. The service charges totaled more than $2,000 and included a new battery, system flush with new fluids, nd most importantly - a new Timing Chain.

The dash does not have any cracks, nd the interior is in fairly good condition, ut it has a number of flaws. In addition, he car has surface rust in numerous places. The car comes with the original owners manual, ools, pare tire and jack, s well as maintenance records. I have taken a couple dozen pictures showing all aspects of the car, ut you are welcome to personally inspect it in Dallas, X.

If you have any questions, lease feel free to call me at 714-470-6400

Good Luck!

Chris