The second performance variant of the Mercedes-Benz 190 to be introduced was the 190E 2.5-16. Debuting for the 1989 model year, these sporty sedans were the successors to the 190 E 2.3-16. Like its predecessor, the 2.5-16 was powered by a Cosworth-tuned engine, and featured a raft of improvements to the suspension and drivetrain. These cars were fitted with a 2.5L inline four engine that featured Cosworth designed 16-valve cylinder heads that generated 201hp. This power was sent to the rear wheels via an automatic or 5 speed dog-leg manual transmission. Four color options were offered for the 2.5-16: Blue-Black Metallic (Pearl Black in North America), Smoke Silver, Almandine Red, and Astral Silver. Production of the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 lasted until 1993, when the model was discontinued. Although the 2.5-16 is special in its own right, Mercedes used it as a base to create two homologation specials which have become some of the most notable cars to have ever left Stuttgart: the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution and the Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II.