Vespera Iride Evo 5: A Cool Restomod in the Style of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II
Vespera Automobili, a company from the Italian city of Savona, has presented the Iride Evo 5 restomod based on the Mercedes-Benz W201 sedan, styled after its most powerful and rarest version, the Evolution II, while the technical underpinnings have been comprehensively modernized.
The Vespera Iride Evo 5 is the Italian answer to the German HWA Evo restomod from the creators of AMG: the same style, but different technical content, and the Italian sports sedan turned out to be much more powerful than the German one. 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 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II sports sedan from 1990, which was produced in a run of 502 units, according to the then-current homologation rules for cars in the DTM touring car championship. The original Evo II is considered the pinnacle of the Mercedes-Benz W201 sedan’s evolution, and surviving examples today command a fortune on the secondary market, but for creating a restomod, an ordinary, well-preserved late-production W201 sedan 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 emblems on the body, modern lighting, and more sophisticated aerodynamic bodywork — for example, a rear wing mounted on the trunk lid with two boldly upturned spoilers. All exterior bodywork is made of carbon fiber, and the structural framework has been significantly reinforced.
The suspension has been modernized, 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. Luxurious OZ Rally Racing wheels grace the flared wheel arches.
The interior of the restomod has not yet been revealed, but a complete overhaul is promised there as well, combined with exquisite craftsmanship in the best Italian traditions using leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber.
The original Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II was equipped with a 4-cylinder 2.5-liter naturally aspirated gasoline engine M102 (235 hp, 245 Nm), while Vespera chose for its project the 6-cylinder 2.6-liter 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 liters, virtually all components have been replaced, and a high-performance turbocharger has been installed, boosting output to 765 hp and 910 Nm (the HWA Evo has a maximum of 500 hp). All power is sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds, and the top speed is 299 km/h.
The price and production start date of 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 a specific client.
