Forty years ago, at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche unveiled a remarkable road car. The Porsche 959 began life as a purist racing car, an evolution of the evergreen 911 tailored to compete on one of the most vivid, popular and gruelling motorsport series of the age, Group B rallying.
Details of the Porsche 959 development mule from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
The prototype rally car made its debut in 1983 and presented a remarkable break with tradition. Clad in aluminium and Kevlar body panels, with hollow magnesium wheels, adjustable ride height and a specially developed all-wheel drive system. By the time the 959 was ready to race, Group B was no more, cancelled by the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) due to the dangers posed by massively overpowered cars and free-roaming spectators across long rally stages. In the 1986 season, three drivers and three spectators were killed and many more injured.
Porsche 959 development mule from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
Porsche pivoted. Not only would it rejig the 959 for one of the longest and most arduous endurance races of all time, the Paris-Dakar, it would also transform it into a refined and exceptionally powerful road car. Over the next three years, Porsche built 292 road-going versions of the 959, some pitched for daily use (‘Komfort’) and others with a boosted power output, ‘Sport’. A short run of eight more cars was added in 1993.
Placed second in the 1986 Paris-Dakar, the Porsche 959 Dakar from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
The 959 truly was a ‘Wundercar’, the title of this new exhibition from London-based creative studio INK. Featuring the work of the studio alongside artists Benedict Radcliffe and Chris Labrooy, photographer Benedict Redgrove, and CGI artists Colorsponge (Carlos Pecino), and Wooden Gun, ‘Wundercar’ celebrates all aspects of the 959, with elements of sculpture, photography, digital and interactive art.
Detail of the second placed Porsche 959 Dakar from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
INK’s ability and agility with automotive imagery is in full effect. The show is dominated by Redgrove’s imagery of a triumvirate of historic 959s, the original development mule, with its bashed-about body panels, a battle-worn 959 Dakar in the iconic Rothmans livery, and the prototype road car.
Detail of the second placed Porsche 959 Dakar from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
The 959 was a Wundercar in every sense; in 1986, 959s came first, second and sixth in the Paris-Dakar. The sport version of the road car could accelerate to 60mph in as little as 3.4 seconds, an unprecedented figure for the pre-EV age. The road car is now a hugely sought-after classic, one of the first ever ‘hypercars’. Prices regularly exceed $2m at auction and its legacy can be seen in the current Porsche 911 Dakar.
Porsche 959 prototype from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
INK doesn’t just do automotive work, but it’s the field that allows the London studio to get the most creative. Recent studio works include the monograph Automotive Type D and the ‘Plain Body’ series of automotive reimaginings. In addition, the company has worked with Polestar, Aston Martin Formula One, Hermès, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and even Nasa.
Detail of the Porsche 959 prototype from the 'Wundercar' exhibition
Wundercar runs 22-25 May 2025 at 41 Quaker Street, London, E1, Wundercar.INK, WeareINK.co.uk, @weareINK
Wundercar exhibition poster
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