I’m almost positive you’ve never dreamt about a Nissan GT-R SUV. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. That’s because you aren’t Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury marque, which has a QX80 to promote. The automaker has chosen to do so with a radical SEMA build that incorporates a 1,000-horsepower-capable engine sourced from a GT-R Nismo, Midnight Purple paint, a lowered ride height, and a dramatic body kit to really sell the tuner look.
It’s called the QX80 R-Spec. You might think that, with such a name, it might be bound for production—even if only in a limited run. That’s not the case, though, as an Infiniti spokesperson confirmed to us that this is “a creative exercise for the brand. It’s meant to inspire rather than to sell.” They also said we can’t drive it. What the heck!
The color-shifting SUV has some serious aftermarket hardware bolted onto the VR38DETT engine, including Garrett G-series turbos attached to ETS exhaust manifolds. It also runs a flex-fuel system with ginormous 2,600cc injectors and a Fuel Lab pump. All that has to make this a pretty swift SUV, even if its curb weight isn’t much different from the roughly 6,000-pound production version.
Infiniti incorporated GT-R influence everywhere, right down to the burnt-blue exhaust tips and 24-inch wheels. Maybe the most obvious visual nod to the Godzilla supercar is its paint, which Nissan has been using liberally across its lineup. Really, that’s the most special part about the Z Heritage Edition that the automaker launched a while back.
I’m not one to gripe about builds like this that exist purely for the sake of a show. I don’t even mind performance SUVs when they’re done right. But I have to imagine that this QX80 R-Spec would be more fun in the standing mile than on a circuit like Fuji or Tsukuba. If you want something that thrives in one of the latter scenarios, you’re probably better off writing a letter to the new Nissan CEO and begging him to build the R36 sooner than later.
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
