Is Infiniti giving its flagship SUV the Godzilla treatment?
Nissan’s luxury division Infiniti is known for its performance-oriented models that combine luxurious design with compelling powertrains and spirited driving character. However, the latest generation of its flagship SUV, the QX80, received the Sport rating for the first time for the 2026 model year, along with a track-focused concept unveiled during Monterey Car Week. As this year’s SEMA show approaches, Infiniti is preparing to reveal another exciting version of the QX80, this time possibly with the power of the Nissan GT-R.
The now-discontinued Nissan GT-R was the culmination of one of the automotive industry’s most famous legends, the legacy of the Skyline GT-R models known as “Godzilla,” revered for their innovative all-wheel drive and powerful six-cylinder engines. Even though it was not sold in the United States, the Skyline GT-R’s reputation with its iconic appearances was still respected by American car enthusiasts in the United States 2Fast2Furious and countless racing video games.
It’s an Infiniti QX80 “R-spec” build unveiled at SEMA, with a logo style that’s incredibly reminiscent of the GT-R. The build could potentially be a QX80 with the GT-R’s powertrain, which in its most recent form was a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 producing 565 horsepower and 600 horsepower in the NISMO variant. In its teaser announcement, Infiniti says its return to SEMA will be “a bold mix of power and elegance” and that “the legend lives under the hood,” strongly suggesting a connection to the GT-R line.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the GT-R’s engine ended up in an SUV, as Nissan’s previous compact SUV, the Juke, gets the engine in the form of the wild, few examples Juke-R. It would also sit alongside an existing performance SUV in the Nissan lineup, the Nissan Armada NISMO, which features a smaller 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 460 horsepower. Whatever the case, an Infiniti QX80 model that carries the beating heart of the discontinued GT-R under the hood would be an incredibly tempting prospect for enthusiasts, and when that appears at SEMA this year, anticipation is building.
Image source: Infiniti
