Type 111 · open two-seater
Lotus 340R
2000
- Years
- 2000
- Engine
- 1.8 Rover K-series VHPD
- Power
- 177–190 bhp
- Weight
- about 700 kg
The 340R began as a magazine concept and went into production in 2000 as a limited run of 340 cars, all in silver and black. It has no doors, no roof and no side windows, and its wheels sit outside the body under cycle-style guards.
Underneath it is an Elise S1 with the 177 bhp VHPD engine and suspension tuned around bespoke Yokohama tyres. At roughly 700 kg it is the lightest road car of the family. Every one was sold before production began.
Variants
| Variant | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 340R | 2000 | 340 built; a 190 bhp upgrade was available. |
On a road trip
A fair-weather machine. There is nowhere to put anything and nothing to keep the rain off, so it is a car to trailer or drive to one great road on a dry day. On the right morning it delivers more sensation per mile than anything else here.
What to check
- Specific body panels and trim are very hard to find.
- VHPD engine history, as for the Exige S1.
- Many live in collections; check for deterioration from lack of use.