Lotus 340R review
Lotus 340R 1.8 Road Test
Test date 24 May 2000
Price as tested £35,000
For Rock-hard looks, performance, stunning ride quality
Against Notchy gearchange, no luggage capacity, expensive
It seemed an impossible brief. When the green light was given for the wildest Lotus road car ever, the Hethel crew knew they would have to beat a benchmark they themselves had created. The new 340R needed to be even more focused, even sharper and even more elemental than the terrifically crafted Elise and Autocar was there from day one.
The new car would face the task of taking the Lotus guiding principles of innovation, lightweight construction and a purity of driving experience to new levels. And it would need plenty of road presence to make sense of its £35,000 price.
When Lotus first started toying with the idea of a no-compromise driver’s car two in 1998, it asked us to suggest what form such a car could take. After the first meeting – which involved Autocar’s Steve Sutcliffe, Colin Goodwin, Keith Howard and Steve Cropley – the main characteristics were decided. Lightweight was essential, with a 500kg target: Sutcliffe came up with the name 340R to denote the intended power-to-weight ratio. It was also decided that the car would need more power than the standard 118bhp of the 1.8 K-series, a better chassis and exposed mechanicals. When we returned, Lotus had five designs. The decision was taken to go with the Russell Carr proposal. And the car you see here is remarkably faithful to that original concept.
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