Mercedes Benz 190E and Cosworth

The Mercedes Benz 190E, quickly dubbed the 'Baby Benz', brought the prestigous marque within the purchasing reach of many.

While this model featured nearly all the safety features of its bigger brothers, and corresponding build quality, the one model everyone seeks today is the 2.3-16

Created in response to BMW's M3 and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Mercedes decided to create a more spirited version of its popular entry level car by fitting it with a new 2.3-liter 16-valve straight four.

The new DOHC motor developed 185bhp, thanks mainly to the fact that it was designed and built by British engineering expert Cosworth. Secretly, Mercedes really only developed this car with the intention of racing it.

Subsequent competition in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) saw it lose to the(similarly Cosworth-engineered) Ford Sierra.

While Mercedes did not achieve the race track success that it sought, the motoring public were rewarded with a truely spirited luxury car, featuring unmatched build quality and naff touches such as individual rear leather bucket seats.

The Evolution II was modified by AMG, who were able to get the 2.5 liter engine to develop 235 bhp at 7200 rpm (in race car form this figure jumped to a staggering 373bhp @ 9500 rpm).

Unfortunately AMG built just 500 cars to meet the minimum requirement of racing regulations.