Vespera Iride Evo 5: A Cool Restomod in the Style of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II

Vespera Automobili, based in the Italian city of Savona, has unveiled the restomod Iride Evo 5, built on the foundation of a Mercedes-Benz W201 saloon and styled after its most powerful and rarest version, the Evolution II, while the technical components have been comprehensively modernised.

The Vespera Iride Evo 5 is the Italian answer to the German restomod HWA Evo from the creators of AMG: the same style, but different technical underpinnings, and the Italian sports saloon has turned out to be far more powerful than its German counterpart. Iride (Iris) is the ancient Greek goddess of the rainbow, while the company name Vespera derives from the Latin word Vesper, meaning the planet Venus, which appears in the sky at sunset.

The idea behind the Vespera Iride Evo 5 project is to recreate, at a modern level, the legendary sports saloon Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II from 1990, of which only 502 examples were produced, in accordance with the homologation rules for the DTM touring car championship at the time. The original Evo II is considered the pinnacle of the Mercedes-Benz W201 saloon's evolution, and surviving examples today command a fortune on the second-hand market, but for creating a restomod, a standard, well-preserved late-model W201 saloon is sufficient.

From the outside, the Vespera Iride Evo 5 is immediately identifiable as a Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, but on closer inspection, you can see the absence of Mercedes badges on the bodywork, modern lighting, and more sophisticated aerodynamic add-ons — for example, a rear wing mounted on the boot lid with two boldly upturned spoilers. All exterior body panels are made of carbon fibre, and the structural framework has been significantly reinforced.

The suspension has been upgraded, but details have not been disclosed; it is only known that the track has been widened by 20 mm. The powerful disc brakes are borrowed directly from the Evolution II version. The swollen wheel arches are adorned with luxurious OZ Rally Racing wheels.

The interior of the restomod has not yet been revealed, but a complete overhaul is promised there too, combined with exquisite trim in the finest Italian traditions, using leather, Alcantara, and carbon fibre.

The original Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II was equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, the M102 (235 hp, 245 Nm), but Vespera chose for its project the 6-cylinder 2.6-litre M103, which was also fitted to the Mercedes-Benz W201, but produced a maximum of 166 hp. For the restomod, the displacement of this engine has been increased to 3.0 litres, virtually all components have been replaced, and a high-performance turbocharger has been installed, resulting in output rising to 765 hp and 910 Nm (the HWA Evo has a maximum of 500 hp). All power is sent to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds, and the top speed is 299 km/h.

The price and production start date for the Vespera Iride Evo 5 have not yet been announced, but it is clear that the production run will be small, and each example will be unique, configured according to the wishes of the individual customer.