2000 Lotus 340 R

First registered in June 2000 to an investment company based in Birmingham, this car is #276 of the 340 built. The car found its second owner in April 2004 and then its third - our vendor - in June 2019.

Having been one of the original 120+ UK-based buyers of a 340R in 2000, he had to part with his first one when children came along demanding something a bit more practical. So two years ago, when he saw this car for sale at Williams Lotus in Gloucestershire, he decided to relive the ownership experience.

He’s long been a fan of Lotus and of other “cars that don’t rust” - ie carbon fibre or composite construction - and has only used the 340R for local cars and coffee meets and the like rather than on the track. Despite owning some other more exotic carbon-tubbed cars, he says that it is the Lotus that gets the most attention.

With the recent purchase of a motorhome, conversion of a garage into an office and at least two other valuable cars to find homes for, he’s run out of space to house the Lotus, so is now selling.

When first sold, there was no choice of colour - all 340Rs were silver and black and this one is no exception. The paint and bodywork appears in pretty good condition right across the car and it looks purposeful with so much of the running gear on show and other fittings such as the tail lights attached on aluminium appendages.

Although it looks racy from the front and minimal from the sides, the rear view is where the action is. The chunky Janspeed exhaust sits between the rear wing above, and the impressive carbon double diffuser below.

Lotus never produced a roof for the 340R but ReVerie Composites of Colchester (founded by an ex-Lotus manager who helped put the 340R into production) prototyped an aftermarket solution with integral dihedral doors as a demonstration of their capabilities. It was never put into commercial production and none of the moulds or tooling were retained. There are only thought to be a few in existence. This one could do with some reconditioning but it is an interesting addition.

When we took the photos, the hard top was only placed in situ and not secured - and we also left out the rear window. To fit both of these items requires no small amount of fettling and fixing, so it isn’t something you do on a whim. 

In fact, this “winterisation” might be something you’d do in November and leave attached until at least April or May after which you have to trust in the weather forecast or rely on the fabric tonneau. The nearside door mirror attached to the roof has become detached but could simply be glued back on.

The Lotus sits on its original alloy wheels (15-inch at the front and 16-inch rears), which look in good order and are fitted with Yokohama Advan tyres dating from 2009-10 - similar to those specially developed for the 340R by Yokohama.

On this car, sans roof, the inside is still very much the outside and as a consequence, there is next to no upholstery or trim to take up space and add weight. The only nod to comfort is the blue alcantara on the seat facings, the steering wheel boss and the cockpit sides. All other surfaces are either bare composite, aluminium or plastic.

The two composite race seats are fitted with Schroth four-point harnesses and are in reasonably good condition with just a little buffing on the seat pads, although the fabric lining on the back of the seats has become detached.

Up front, the instrumentation is minimal but comprehensive, and aside from the usual steering column stalk controls, the only other switchgear are the handful of buttons, vertically positioned on the centre bar.

The mid-mounted engine is accessed via a hatch behind the seats and the compartment is a masterpiece of packaging. They’ve managed to fit pretty much all the ancillaries in the restricted space including a large air duct and intake box. The battery and a few other components are installed in the nose.

The undersides of the car are pretty featureless, just a collection of composite panels creating a flat underside for better aerodynamics. There are a couple of stone chips to the front and the composite crossmembers, but overall the undersides appear in good order. The suspension and steering components are all out in the open and look well cared for.

In terms of boot space, whilst the S1 Elise could hold small amounts of luggage aft of the engine, this part of the body was completely removed in the creation of the 340R, so you’ll need to be travelling light. There is a small net between the seats where you might just be able to fit your lunch!

The 340R has a current MoT valid until June 2021, which it passed with no advisories. The online history shows 7 successful tests since 2006 as well as a few short spells off the road in that time.

The car comes with two keys, its technical manual and a couple of invoices showing recent work. In May last year, the timing belt, water pump and brake pads were replaced, along with bodywork PPF Protection treatment, and in July the car was given a 12,500 mile service.

There are also two small boxes of parts.

Fewer than 130 of these cars were sold into the UK market back in 2000 and today just over 80 remain - most of them SORN - so this Lotus 340R is a rare car to see out on the roads. Whilst we all know that rarity is no guarantee of desirability, we think this lightweight pocket rocket has that factor well covered too.

In a largely good condition with low ownership and mileage, we think this stripped-back uncommon roadster with an even rarer hard top, will sell for between £40,000 and £50,000.

As we already mentioned, this isn’t a car for every day nor would it suit everyone. But it would make a formidable track-day weapon or something truly engaging for the weekends when you need to blow the cobwebs away… and then some.

Please note that the number plate is not included in the sale.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.