From The Classifieds: 2001 Lotus 340R
Lotus built only a limited number of the Elise-based 340R model in 2000. Even fewer found their way offshore, making this one-owner example from Queensland something a little out of the ordinaryThis is something pretty special.
The Lotus 340R currently advertised on carsales.com.au is one of a small number of cars (340 in total) produced in 2000 by a company that doesn’t go for large production numbers anyway.
The 340R is about as minimal – something Lotus already specialises in – as you can get. The track-focussed but road-ready fair-weather plaything has no roof, doors or full body cladding. Where the Lotus Elise on which it is based has a fully-enclosed body, the 340R is devoid of anything but a bonnet, a windscreen and a cockroach-like rear end. Optional motorcycle carbon fibre guards keep road spray at bay and to get aboard, you simply vault over the side sills.
It’s not a Clubman, mind. The heavily stylised bonnet with integrated teardrop lights and the deeply curved windscreen give the 340R an art noveau air, as does the narrow interior with its motorcycle-style twin instrument display, no-compromise race seats and enclosing side members.
Typically Lotus, the 340R is all about weight minimisation. Trimmed of much of its bodily essentials, the car weighs a tad over 700kg, which helps the power-to-weight ratio no end.
The light weight helps unleash the full potential of the transverse, mid-mounted, 132kW/172Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine. And even moreso with this example that has a 179kW 2.0-litre upgrade to make even better use of the close-ratio, five-speed manual Rover gearbox. The 1.8-litre version was quoted at 4.4 seconds for the zero to 100km/h dash, so this car, which currently lives in the outer Brisbane suburb of Slacks Creek in Queensland, could be expected to be considerably quicker.
The “fully road registrable” 2001 car (it will be sold with a roadworthy certificate) is still in the hands of its original owner and is described (confirmed by the photos) as being in “fantastic” condition, with a quoted 18,000km on board.
The owner has put an $80,000 tag on the Lotus. Given its rarity, and the fact that most of the 340 cars produced are said to be confined to UK track racing these days, this registrable version is a sure-fire guarantee of exclusivity – and not a little on-road fun.
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