Author: Matt Haugness

Matt created ImportMeet.com in 2011 after noticing a lack of media websites dedicated exclusively to import cars. Although he's employed as an engineer and has no formal training in journalism, his skills continue to develop as the editor for the site. He enjoys writing feature car articles, technical build/project articles, and organizing events. Matt drives a 2023 Honda Civic Type R and a 1990 LS-swapped Mazda RX-7.

Many enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the release of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ in the United States. Scion has an interesting contest to make sure that the most devoted fans have the first chance of buying an FR-S prior to the official launch day. On January 12th from 12:00pm to 8:06pm EST potential buyers can place a purchase request for the FR-S on www.scionfirst86.com. By picking their desired color and transmission in the 8 hour and 6 minute long window, these contestants will have a chance of being one of the first 86 owners of the FR-S in the…

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Import Meet launched in 2011 and it was our first year covering and hosting import car events. We thought we would take some time to look back at some of our favorite events of the year. Golden Gardens – March 27, 2011 – Seattle, WA As in previous years, Northwest Nissans' annual Golden Gardens meet was a wet one. Despite the rain, there were so many cars this year that by early morning it was difficult to find a spot to park. It was a great event and although it was centered around Nissans, many other types of car showed…

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This is a follow-up article to our 2012 Scion iQ Initial Impressions article from a couple weeks ago. Megan, the owner of the Scion iQ I photographed, ended up finding the article and commenting on it. Since I wasn't able to test drive the iQ, I thought the next best thing would be to get her thoughts on the car with an interview. ImportMeet.com: What make/model of car did you previously drive? How does the iQ compare? Megan: The last two cars I had were Toyota/Scion. I had a 2008 Toyota Prius, but I ended up not being able to…

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On December 10th, we had the opportunity to attend the NWMotiv.com Toy Drive and Winter Meet at Speedware Motorsports in Redmond, WA. It was an early morning for our group (we left Bellingham at 6am) but we arrived just as the event was starting. Various clubs and teams showed up throughout the day and while we were there, Executive Auto Society and LowerClassMen braved the cold with their high quality rides.

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Update: Check out our interview with the owner of this car here. Love them or hate them, small fuel efficient cars continue to change the automotive landscape. Scion decided to target this market directly by bringing another model to their growing lineup. Enter the 2012 Scion iQ. I happened to be fortunate enough to privately view one of the first iQ's sold in Washington State. Although the iQ didn't officially launch until today, Wilson Motors provided me the opportunity to take some photos before their first one was delivered to its owner. While some of these images may appear squished,…

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When I was considering building an RX-7, I knew that the future powerplant would be a piston engine. While I can appreciate a nicely built rotary, they tend to have reliability issues when they’re abused.  The intent with this track car was to build something that could perform well in autocross, drag racing, and drifting events reliably. All three of these forms of competition require that the drivetrain be able to take abuse and be fixed for a reasonable cost when it does break. In my opinion, to be competitive the car needs to be making at least 350-400 horsepower.…

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Once a year, the Seattle Auto Show fills CenturyLink Field Event Center with the latest concepts and production models of cars from just about every manufacturer. Everything from exotics to hybrids are on display for the general public. This year was no exception with cars like the Lamborghini Aventador and the Audi R8 Spyder taking center stage.

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