Lotus 340R

www.QV500.com - Lotus 340R Part 1: 340R

Designed to be the ultimate track-day machine, the Lotus 340R put a new spin on the critically acclaimed Elise. With no doors, no side windows, no roof and only minimal composite bodywork covering its extruded aluminium chassis, the 340R was every petrolheads fantasy. The first pictures were leaked in July ‘98 and the 340R's striking looks and minimalist bodywork caused a sensation. Its name was initially derived from a power-to-weight ratio of 340bhp per ton, but this was eventually deemed over optimistic and instead, 340 examples were built to give the name some validity.

After appearing at the Birmingham Motor Show in October '98, the public response had been so overwhelming that Lotus gave the go ahead for limited production. Throughout the ensuing 12 months, the 340R concept was turned into a fully type approved road car and by September '99, the customer version was displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Deliveries began in February 2000 and all 340 were pre-sold. The 340R's basic chassis was pure Elise. Made from extruded and bonded aluminium, the light and exceptionally stiff chassis was the load-bearing structure and meant that unlike conventional cars, the body panels weren't an essential part of the structural integrity. This allowed Lotus to use body parts only where essential for comfort, safety and aerodynamic efficiency. The brakes, adjustable suspension and close-ratio gearbox were imported from the Elise 190 Sport. Cross-drilled and ventilated 282mm discs came gripped by AP Racing opposed piston callipers. The lower, stiffer suspension comprised independent upper and lower wishbones, co-axial Eibach springs and adjustable Koni dampers. No power-assistance was provided for the rack and pinion steering. Ultra lightweight Tecnomagnesio 10-spoke centre-locking magnesium wheels were designed specially for the 340R, these being shod with custom Yokohama A038R tyres that had the appearance of a cut slick but were completely street-legal.

The front rims were six-inches wide and of 15-inch diameter, the rears being 8x16. Into this mouth-watering combination of parts, Lotus dropped a VHPD (Very High Performance Derivative) K-series inline four. This 1.8-litre mid-mounted water-cooled engine featured a Lotus-developed management system, twin overhead camshafts with mechanical tappets and electronic multi-point injection. Coupled to a close-ratio five-speed gearbox and Lotus-designed exhaust manufactured by Janspeed, the VHPD engine came complete with a catalyst and engine sound shield, both of which could be removed for a little extra performance.

To gain type approval, Lotus actually offered a standard 177bhp motor but in reality, all 340R's left the Hethel factory equipped with the ‘190' option that saw output rise to 187bhp at 7800rpm. The ‘190' upgrade pack comprised re-mapped engine management, 101° inlet camshaft pulley (to optimise output and mid-range torque), 82° thermostat (allowing the engine to operate at a cooler temperature) and an engine breather system for slightly enhanced output. Lotus also removed the resonator valve and secondary air filter. A cat replacement pipe allowed the catalytic converter to be ditched, this reducing exhaust backpressure and increasing power and torque. It also led to a more responsive throttle and fruitier engine note. For those parts of Europe where legislation meant running no cat was illegal, Lotus provided a special Motorsport item. To further reduce weight and increase power, two sports exhaust systems were offered, one in titanium and the other, stainless steel. When used without the cat, these exhausts gave an additional 10bhp at 5500rpm, the titanium unit being the lighter of the two whilst the steel system was definitely noisier. Other ‘190' upgrades included an oil cooler (standard for left-hand drive 340R's) and blue silicone water hoses. Undoubtedly the most attention-grabbing feature of the 340R was its extreme body styling. There were no doors or side windows and no roof of any description, the skimpy composite body panels coming finished in a mixture of silver and black. This was the only colour scheme available.

Inside, the bare alloy cockpit was equipped with competition-style leather seats featuring blue alcantara centres and four-point harnesses. Matching blue alcantara trim could also be found on the doors and standard steering wheel. Customers could enhance their 340R with a variety of optional upgrades, the most desirable of which was a Track Pack. This included the cat replacement pipe, titanium exhaust, a five-point harness kit, Pagid brake pads, racing brake hoses, racing brake fluid, a Stack digital tach with upshift lamps and lap timing facilities and a lightweight race-spec battery.

These items were also available individually along with a racing damper kit, an ultra close-ratio straight cut gear set, a smaller and lighter fuel tank and even a trick sequential transmission. More options comprised Goodridge braided-steel brake hoses, a removable quick-release steering wheel, an oil cooler kit (standard on LHD), a fire extinguisher, battery trickle charger and various custom tools. Thanks to its superlight carbon shell, the standard road-going 340R weighed in at just 600kg, a full 130kg lighter than the featherweight Elise 190. This could be pared down to just 568kg with all the various track modifications applied, but either way, the 340R was incredibly fast and equally agile. 0-60mph took the 600kg machine just 4.3 seconds and 0-100 a mere 10.8. Top speed was a comparatively modest 134mph. The 340R was type approved and ready to roll barely a year after being rubber-stamped by Lotus management, production starting in February 2000 with the entire run of 340 cars all pre-sold. Some were fitted with carbon fibre cycle wings (most getting black-painted glassfibre items), but there wasn't much time for any major modifications to be phased in as production was over before the end of 2000. 120 cars remained in the UK with the rest going to Europe and Japan.