Rare LHD Lotus 340R Track Special Will Set You Back At Least £55,000

In February 2000, Lotus took the car world by surprise by putting the radical 340R concept into production. The lightweight special became available to the public in a limited run of 340 units, all sharing the same silver and black paint scheme.

Interestingly, it was also in 2000 that the conceptually similar Ariel Atom launched with a Lotus-tuned suspension. As for the KTM X-Bow, it was nowhere in sight at the time.

Described by Lotus as the ultimate track-day car, the 340R is actually an Elise at its core. It uses the same bonded aluminum mid-engine chassis, basic running gear, and the 1.8-liter Rover K Series power plant in 177-hp guise. However, you wouldn’t detect the Elise connection just by looking at it.

Although street-legal, the 340R looks like a dedicated track day special: it has no roof, no side windows and no doors. Furthermore, it features open wheels and almost entirely exposed mechanicals at the rear — clear hints of the 340R’s no-compromise philosophy.

With a curb weight of 1,545 lbs (701 kg), the 340R was much quicker than the Elise. 0 to 60 mph (0-96 km/h) took just 4.3 seconds and the 100 mph (161 km/h) mark was reached after just 10.9 seconds. Owners also had the option of boosting the engine to 190 hp using Lotus accessories, resulting in even quicker acceleration.

This particular example, build number 104, is among the rarest 340Rs made: it’s the last of eight left-hand-drive cars built for the United States for track and competition use only.

It got repatriated to the UK in January 2018, receiving a full body off inspection, fresh fluids, filters, and a cam belt service. Now the 340R is going to Silverstone Auctions’ September sale event (September 28-29), where it is estimated to fetch between £55,000 and £65,000 ($72,240-$85,370).

The 340R comes complete with the dealer-supplied book packs, a Certificate of Provenance, inspection invoices and all related import documents. Remarkably, it sits on the original Yokohama tires developed specifically for the 340R. We’re not sure how safe the 18-year-old rubber is, though, so the new owner should replace them.

Finally, the odometer reads just 351 miles (565 km), which means this car is still waiting for the owner that’ll drive it as Lotus intended.