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First Look: HWA EVO.R Gets Ready for Nürburgring 24h, the 190E Monster Is Back
The HWA EVO.R, the circuit version of HWA’s modern reinterpretation of the legendary Mercedes-Benz 190E Evo, makes its first laps on the Portimão circuit this week.
And not simply as a demonstration. This is the machine that will compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May. And yes, it looks every bit as wild as you would hope.
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From Iconic DTM Legend to Modern Endurance Racer
HWA promised from the start that their Evo project would be more than a design exercise. The road-going version was only the beginning. The real goal always lay on the Nordschleife. The original 190E 2.3-16 and Evo models wrote history in DTM and touring car racing worldwide. Think of the iconic opening race of the Nürburgring GP circuit, won by Ayrton Senna in a field full of 190Es.
The EVO.R brings that heritage back. But more extreme. Wide wheel arches like half-pipes, yellow headlights, a spoiler on a spoiler, retro liveries that look as if they have come straight from the 1990s. And under the skin? V6 power.
Nürburgring 24h: No Symbolic Entry
The HWA EVO.R will compete in the SP-X class during the Nürburgring 24 Hours 2026. That is the category for the “special stuff”, cars that do not fit neatly into existing GT or touring car regulations.
The goal is not necessarily an overall victory. The goal is durability, character and a tribute to the past. Originally, HWA was set to start with two cars. Due to exceptional interest, that number has grown to three. And honestly? They will be instant crowd favourites.
A Serious Line-Up Behind the Wheel
HWA is not taking a half-hearted approach to this. During the first tests in Portimão, Luca Ludwig, Sebastian Asch and three-time Nürburgring 24h winner Markus Winkelhock, among others, get behind the wheel.
Those are not marketing names. That is top-level experience. Moreover, Ludwig and Asch are sons of DTM legends Klaus Ludwig and Roland Asch, men who attached their names to the original 190E Evos. The circle is complete.
More Than Nostalgia
What HWA is doing here is clever. Today’s performance world is dominated by hybrid and electric platforms. The EVO.R, by contrast, breathes pure mechanical motorsport.
The project shows not only that the modern HWA interpretation is technically capable, but also that it can survive 24 hours on the Nordschleife. That is not a marketing claim, that is a torture test.
CEO Martin Marx says it himself: the Nürburgring is like a second home for HWA. After more than 25 years of motorsport experience on the Ring, this feels like a logical step.
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The HWA EVO.R is exactly what the Nürburgring 24h needs. Not another anonymous GT3. Not another soulless aero monster. But a car with history, character and recognisability.
The combination of retro design, modern technology and a V6 soundtrack makes this one of the most interesting entries of 2026. And when it races across the Nordschleife in May under a setting sun? This might just become the defining image of the racing year.
