Car Catcher: Pre-Production Prototype Lotus 340R

Sponsored article presented by Wire Wheel Classic Sports Cars.

The Lotus 340R: What began life as a concept car soon became a production model, a special edition of the Lotus Elise. Only 340 copies were made during its one-year run in 2000, and it's reported that every single one was sold before the series was even put into production.

That makes this 1999 Lotus 340R particularly special, then, as it is said to be a pre-production prototype, number two of the 340 built.

Because the 340R is, essentially, a stripped-down Elise, power comes from the same 1.8-liter Rover inline-four found in the Series 1 model. The output is said to be around 177 horsepower and 127 lb.-ft. of torque.

This example is reported as only having 1150 miles on the odometer, and comes equipped with some unique equipment including a Janspeed exhaust, a custom tonneau cover and Tecnomagnesio center-lock magnesium wheels.