One Night in Tuner Car Heaven: IMPORTEXPO Chattanooga

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been into cars. I became hooked on Japanese cars first, then European, and eventually American models. Over the years, I’ve attended many car events – local meets, motorsports, and track days. But one event always eluded me – a full-blown tuner show.

So when I saw that IMPORTEXPO was coming to Chattanooga last year, I knew it was my chance to experience an event dedicated entirely to modified cars. I didn’t hesitate to purchase a ticket, and in late November, found myself driving two hours across Tennessee to the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Arriving at sunset, I had to grab a few shots around the parking lot, including a couple of my Honda Civic Hybrid next to a Ford Focus ST. After trying a few locked doors at the venue, I finally found an open one, checked in, and instantly felt a rush of excitement. Seeing the first room full of cars was surreal.

Right at the entrance sat a stunning red Acura NSX. Then front and center were a Porsche 997 and a C8 Chevrolet Corvette – both wide-body cars – plus a clean white Nissan 300ZX off to the side.

The Porsche stopped me immediately. I’m a huge 911 fan, and seeing a widebody 997 in person was insane. Ultimately, this build became one of my top five picks from the event.

Following the row on the right, the variety was unreal. A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X built by a race shop, a Volkswagen Jetta with a crazy engine bay, and a VW Caddy that was just straight-up sick. Then came a murdered-out Subaru BRZ with an insane body kit, custom interior, and a huge audio system.

Next, a widebody Nissan GT-R paired with a white NSX. This Acura absolutely stole the show for me. And yes, a Toyota Supra was in the mix, too.

I kept moving to find stance cars with their own personalities, a Viper still holding its iconic poster-car status, and two wild Civic builds (a white EG and a violet EK). The Hondas weren’t really my style, but the detail and craftsmanship were amazing. There were even a few slammed show trucks and a droptop BMW E36 that looked like the ultimate drift-party machine.

In the final stretch, I saw a clean Honda Civic Si, a Dodge Challenger, track-focused BMW E90 and Subaru STI builds, an Integra – one of my favorite stance cars at the show – plus a wild Nissan 350Z and an Audi R8 (another top-five build for me). Then, an F10 BMW M5 aging like fine wine, a standout Honda Prelude, and the trio of Nissan Z builds: two 370Zs and that gorgeous 300ZX.

The best was saved for last, though. An FK8 Civic Type R and a DC2 Integra Type R parked together – old-school meets modern Honda greatness. As a Honda fanboy, this brought me peak happiness.

Overall, IMPORTEXPO Chattanooga was an incredible experience – great cars, great people, great vibes. Despite being a night event, it was totally family-friendly. This is how the car scene stays alive. I can’t wait for the next one – and hopefully SEMA later this year.

GALLERY