Infiniti QX80 R-Spec is the 1,000-HP GT-R SUV You Never Thought Would Exist

The GT-R’s Spirit Finds a New Home

The R35-generation Nissan GT-R finally retired this year, leaving a gap in the Japanese marque’s performance lineup. It’s now solely represented by the Nissan Z. However, Godzilla’s spirit refuses to bow out completely, with the company’s luxury arm, Infiniti, keeping the fire alive – just not in the way anyone expected.

Instead of another coupe, the GT-R’s legacy has found a new body, one that rides higher and exudes more polish: the Infiniti QX80 R-Spec.

To be displayed at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas in November, the QX80 R-Spec follows the direction of the 650-horsepower QX80 Track Spec Concept. It takes the brand’s flagship SUV and transforms it into something completely different: a high-performance concept designed to show what happens when Infiniti removes all restraint.

1,000 Horses Under the Hood

At its heart lies the legendary 3.8-liter twin-turbo VR38DETT engine borrowed from the GT-R R35. This version has been reworked with bigger turbochargers, custom intercoolers, and a flex-fuel system to deliver up to 1,000 horsepower. The setup includes JE pistons, Boostline rods, and a MOTEC engine management system, all working to push performance far beyond what the standard 450-hp QX80 offers.

To handle that power, the SUV gets GT-R carbon ceramic brakes, a custom suspension with MCS coilovers, and 24-inch bronze GT-R-style wheels wrapped in 315-width Yokohama tires. Inside, Infiniti hasn’t shared much yet, but the focus seems less on plush leather and more on precision hardware.

Dressed in Midnight Purple

Visually, the QX80 R-Spec pays direct tribute to the GT-R and its roots. It wears a color-shifting Midnight Purple wrap inspired by the GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition, along with wider bodywork, a deep front splitter, and titanium exhaust tips. The connection to the GT-R is unmistakable, right down to the signature DRL it wore before its retirement.

There are no plans to put the R-Spec into production, and Infiniti hasn’t mentioned pricing. Probably the point isn’t to sell it, but to remind fans and naysayers that performance still has a place in the luxury world. If this is what the GT-R’s afterlife looks like, it’s an intriguing evolution of a Japanese icon.