Infiniti Unveils 1,000 HP QX80 R-Spec As A Gigantic Tribute To The GT-R

In an unexpected reveal, Infiniti unveils a one-off Nissan GT-R-powered ‘QX80 R-Spec’ for the upcoming 2025 SEMA show.

While it might seem like an unusual choice, some of you will likely remember the GT-R-engined Nissan Juke R, which was revealed in 2012, and started life with ‘just’ 485 horsepower before the final revision provided 690 hp.

This latest behemoth from Nissan’s luxury division takes things up several notches from the Juke – not just in size, either.

A nod to the R35 GT-R

Based on the brand’s flagship full-size luxury SUV, the monster project is once again powered by the now-discontinued Nissan GT-R NISMO’s 3.8-liter V6 VR38DETT.

Putting the Juke R to shame, Infiniti has chosen to extract a whopping 1,000 horsepower from the twin-turbo powerplant.

They didn’t just use the GT-R’s engine, either. The design inspiration comes from the T-Spec Takumi Edition, which uses the GT-R’s huge carbon-ceramic brakes (with some custom tweaks) for stopping power behind massive bronze 24-inch wheels, “designed to resemble those from the GT-R”.

A surprising amount of effort went into the build

To extract 1,000 horsepower from the hand-built VR38, Infiniti went all-out with aftermarket upgrades, showing just how much effort they put in.

Inside the VR38DETT engine are a selection of familiar names to drifters – JE pistons, ARP rod bolts, and Boostline forged rods.

Alongside these lies a pair of uprated Garrett G-series turbochargers, ETS exhaust manifolds, and a custom intake with twin front-mount intercoolers. For fueling, they’ve opted for a custom flex-fuel system, 2,600cc injectors, and a Fuel Lab pump. A MOTEC ECU puts the icing on the cake.

Thankfully, rather than using the GT-R’s stock suspension, they opted for a custom setup for the monstrous luxobarge, utilizing MCS three-way external reservoir coilovers with Eibach ERS springs and modified steering knuckles.

All of this is undoubtedly essential. While we don’t know the exact weight, we imagine it weighs quite a bit more than its sportier counterpart, given the 6,000-pound stock version. For comparison, the Takumi GT-R weighs 3,880 pounds.

If you squint, you’ll (maybe) see the GT-R-inspired styling

All aspects of the R-Spec’s ‘thicc’ styling are “directly inspired” by the GT-R, including the custom widebody kit, which sits lower thanks to a custom front splitter.

Finishing touches come with added diffusers, badges, and various other design changes. One that’ll likely stand out to enthusiasts is the custom “R35-inspired” burnt tip exhausts. (We’ll let you form your own opinions there.)

Of course, nothing built as a nod to Godzilla should be without its iconic Midnight Purple colorway, which they’ve chosen for the full body wrap.

“[The] QX80 R-Spec is extreme, aggressive and a showcase of what INFINITI can do when our engineering and design teams take off all the guardrails,” said Tiago Castro, INFINITI Americas’ vice president.

What’s next for the QX80 R-Spec?

While the previous 690-horsepower Juke R came to life and was available to buy and own (if you had around $700k spare for a Juke), the chances of you being able to do the same for the R-Spec are… Very slim.

It’s a one-off, built specifically for the SEMA Show as a “creative exercise for the brand” to flex their capabilities.

Admittedly, it comes at a surprising time, given recent concerns about Nissan’s long-term future. Hopefully, it’s a sign that things aren’t as bad as they seem, and it’s great to see them continue to push the boundaries.

With that said, we really hope this will see more action than simply sitting on a stand at SEMA. If not, we’d much rather see them investing the time working on an R36 (or S16) instead!