{"id":54084,"date":"2020-11-06T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-06T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/?p=54084"},"modified":"2020-11-12T08:15:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-12T08:15:18","slug":"20-years-of-lotus-340r","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.secret-classics.com\/en\/20-years-of-lotus-340r\/","title":{"rendered":"20 Years of Lotus 340R"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1998, Lotus showed the 340R at the Birmingham Motor Show as a concept car based on the Elise. Actually, this car was only intended to show how far one could go with the lightweight construction concept of company founder Colin Chapman. To this end, Lotus held a brainstorm workshop between Autocar magazine and chief designer Russell Carr. The result of which was the 340R. The name came from the power-to-weight ratio, which was 340 hp per ton. But the reactions of trade show visitors and other potential customers worldwide eventually led to the development of a small series production. This work took around two years and made a few changes to details necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From concept car to series<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While the 340R concept car didn’t yet have spoiler attachments in front of the front wheels and came with a flush integrated rear spoiler, these areas had been changed in the series production. Lotus also integrated two additional lights in the cooling air intake. The Elise, whose aluminium chassis served as the basic base, was at best remembered for its headlights. The rest of the bodywork, without doors or roof, had a unique design and was made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. Only silver with black add-on parts was available ex works for the 340R. From the concept car it took over the unusually curved rollbar behind the seats.<\/p>\n\n\n

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