Smack dab in the middle of the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz realized it couldn’t rely solely on big, gangsta sedans anymore. No problem—the Germans, in the typical overengineering style they had, developed their first compact car. This is the 190E (W201), which was sold between 1982 and 1993. The automaker never bothered with anything else but a four-door. So while the Audi and BMW crowd tuning the hell out of the corresponding modern classics gets to choose, the numerous 190E builds taking Instagram by storm these days are all sedans, be they wide body or factory-width.
The styling of the 190E was uber-modern, arguably making its archenemy, the E30 BMW 3 Series, look old. Nowadays, that gap is not relevant anymore, as enthusiasts love to tune the hell out of both German machines. Of course, if you’d rather talk about the following iteration of the 3 Series, here are the best E36 BMW builds on Instagram.
Speaking of which, the stellar reliability of the 190E easily recommends this as a starting point for a custom car project, even though the vehicle’s age naturally means a certain level of servicing attention is required.
While the 190E and the E30 were at each other’s throats in the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) things were different on the road, where the noticeably less dynamic Mercedes means the aftermarket attention it’s getting these days is welcome.
Then again, the W201 got its fair share of performance models, starting with the Cosworth 2.3-16 and 2.5-16. However, even with AMG not being a part of Mercedes when the 190E came about, the standalone racing and tuning specialist released a power pack for the latter.
More importantly, AMG’s 190E Evo I and the Evo II Mack Daddy added not just more power, but also track-savvy suspension and brakes. These DTM homologation specials enjoy more fame than the straight-six-powered 190E 3.2 AMG—one of the few models with more than four cylinders. In fact, more than one of the Mercedes 190E builds we listed below—in no particular order—have a widebody kit paying tribute to that of the legendary 190E Evo II.
oz_evo2fake 190E from Germany
Owned by a German-based enthusiast named Oguzhan Bagbasi (aka oz_evo2fake), this may be an Evo II tribute, but, as one of its window decals states, it prioritizes tuning over racing abilities. There are even some tongue-in-cheek details such as the plastic fence-style window net emulation on the rear window, which add personality to the project.
Once we look past the Evo II ode delivered by the widebody and rear wing, there’s a pink-dominated color scheme owed to an Inozetek wrap (have you seen this Inozetek-covered Pink Ferrari F40 at SEMA?). Those muscular arches accommodate Dotz wheels sporting aero discs, while the front splitter and rear diffuser are noticeably larger than what they used in DTM.
FB Performance 190E, also from Germany
Sticking to the birthplace of the W201, we bring you 18-year-old Felix Beigl’s (aka fb_performance) OEM+ 190E. The youngster had the car completely refreshed, from the body to the “civilian” 2.0L engine.
Why this approach? Felix also owns a 190E Cosworth 2.5-16, which he kept closer to the factory aesthetics—for this 2.0 example, though, we went for a wilder look, albeit while maintaining the factory width (aka narrow body) of the sedan.
The KW lowering suspension is mixed with Fifteen52 wheels that come in a 18×8.5-inch size and are shod in 215/35 R18 tires. Unlike the machine above, this one packs a full roll cage, but, as with most of the builds on social media, it only packs two seats.
The mid-level aero elements and the eye-catching livery complete this balanced package.
Kean Suspension’s 190E from Belgium
We’d like to stick in the moderate area of the custom W201 landscape a bit more. So enter the 190E modded by Belgian specialist Kean Suspensions.
This one features more of a straightforward approach, using a Pandem Rocket Bunny widebody, which it masterfully mixes with Rotiform VCE-T wheels. And if you check out its livery, you can instantly see why the car is nicknamed the Jagermeister Benz.
Climbing aboard, there’s no roll cage at all, as this is an all-street build, albeit with the cabin having been partially stripped.
mestylecar’s Malaysian-tuned 190E
The Malaysian builder behind the mestylecar Instagram account has been working on his W201 Mercedes for many years. The vehicle features a bit of a DIY aroma and you should know that the drift-like massive rear wing is mixed with a JDM engine swap. This 190E features a Toyota 1JZ engine, with the straight-six featuring a generous turbo.
The widebody kit looks like an original take, while the front end easily sets this unit apart from the rest of the builds—there’s a wider grille that partially covers the LED headlights, one of which features a smaller, post-apocalyptic take.
And while the car used to come in a matte shade of grey, a twist on a famous DTM livery, its more recent white and red livery is a more conspicuous choice.
Among the custom bits found on the Mercedes four-door, we have an Airlift suspension, Brembo brakes, and a drift car-style bash bar protecting the engine bay.
The Canadian-tuned Mercedes Evil Evo of Trickfactory Customs
Canadian shop Trickfactory Customs works on all sorts of machines, from a Lamborghini Urus body-swapped Chevrolet Tahoe to multiple 190E. Remember, the W201 was a global product, also being offered in North America.
The Evil Evo is the personal car of shop owner Timothy Black. And while the machine has yet to be completed—it seems close, but we still have to see it running—this promises to be the most radical 190E here, at least from a tech perspective.
We’re dealing with a race car approach, powered by an LS3 whose twin-turbo nature means it will deliver between 1,000 and 1,500 hp. By the way, the V8 Biturbo badges on the front fenders, which would indicate a much newer AMG Mercedes, are a nice touch. And we can say the same about the all-slashed hood, which ensures the kind of heat dissipation such a monster needs. A reinforced chassis, along with competition-grade brakes and suspension complete the setup.
The red interior brings a brutish take on an otherwise murdered-out machine sporting an Evo II widebody tribute with a swan neck wing. And speaking of the cabin, the presence of a hydraulic handbrake makes us sorry for those rear tires.
Then again, the Evil Evo is not the only track-prepped W201 we want to show you. In the upcoming Part 2 of The Best Mercedes-Benz 190E Builds on Instagram, we’ll bring along a 1992 Mercedes that’s been given an M133 2.0L turbo-four from a GLA 45 AMG and a manual swap, which is as close to the actual DTM spec as you can get using modern tech!