First HWA Evo to be auctioned next month

It didn’t seem like the HWA Evo would be here so soon. The company, created by AMG co-founder Hans Werner Aufrecht and responsible for all manner of Mercedes motorsport successes, said the first examples of its 190E 2.5-16 Evo II-based restomod wouldn’t be here until 2025. But today it has announced that Chassis 000 – the ‘first production example’ – will be auctioned at RM Sotheby’s Tegernsee sale on July 27th. Which sounds a lot like a complete car. 

Since we last reported on the Evo in January, the firm’s official website has added a brochure apparently confirming some of the new model’s ‘standard specification’. The raw figures are encouraging to say the least: 1,350kg; 50/50 weight distribution; 450hp and 405lb ft of torque (from a modified Mercedes’ 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6); and, enthrallingly, a transaxle six-speed manual. If that weren’t enough, HWA suggests that ‘DTM suspension’ means double wishbones all round with electrically adjustable dampers – along with a 30mm lift system, which it looks like you’ll definitely need. All this from a company that – let’s not forget – was involved with projects like the CLK GTR street car, CLK DTM AMG and SL65 Black Series. So its promise of an ‘uncompromising reinterpretation of a classic’ rings true before you even get to the bit about an integrated rollcage, 4-point Recaro classic seats and a modern climate control system. 

As you might imagine, Chassis 000 will be built to the highest spec possible that HWA is offering for the Evo – no exact details on that declaration just yet, but expect all the stops to have been pulled on its mission to make ‘the best car in the world even better’ – and it will be sold with signed copies of documents used in the development of the car, as well as an ‘archive of exceptional press and event imagery.’ Even by special edition standards, it’s going to be an exceptional Mercedes. 

The RM Sotheby’s Tegernsee Auction is part of the Concourse of Elegance Germany. There’s not an estimate for the car yet, or an auction listing, though it has to be assumed that Chassis 000 will make more than the €714,000 each build starts at given its spec and unique provenance. Though certain other chassis numbers have been assigned to upcoming builds, HWA says that allocations are still available for 2025 and beyond. So if you were always more of a 190E kind of person than an M3 one, you know what to do…