Lotus 340R in Japan
Now here’s an oddball that gets seldom discussed: the very limited production sibling to the Lotus Elise, the 340R. And what better way to take in the sights of Japan than in one of these?
For what it’s worth, in 2009 evo magazine placed the 340R at number two on its list of “100 Greatest Drivers’ Cars” (the Pagani Zonda F topped the list):
If being the greatest drivers’ car meant having the world’s best steering then the Lotus 340R (or any mk1 Elise/Exige) would be standing on the top step. ‘The 340R is like an Elise turned up to 11,’ says unlikely Spinal Tap fan Metcalfe. ‘The chassis composure when really pushed is beyond brilliant; it’s close to unbelievable’. John Simister has the 340R at the top of his list ‘for its speed, purity, transparency and compactness. It provides a huge visceral buzz yet doesn’t assault you with the wrong sort of “noise”.’ ‘Sublime,’ says Barker (source).
(Images via)
Motoring Con Brio 
I have real issues with Evo picking a Pagani at #1 since it would likely be one of the worst cars in 90% of driving situations. It always seemed to me like they picked it as an ego trip in the “look at what we were able to master” sense and not backed up by reality. /bitterness
Kevin McCauley said this on October 18, 2011 at 10:59 pm
I rode in a 340R on my visit to Japan a few years ago. Curious if this is my friend’s car, as there are not that many around. It was raining and we had to stop at their equivalent of a 7-11 and buy a tarp. So there we were, driving in the middle of the night down the wangan holding a tarp over our heads. It was awesome! 🙂
spectre23 said this on October 19, 2011 at 11:34 am
cool! this is the photographer’s website in case it offers any clues:
http://yasulotus340r.web.fc2.com/
motoringconbrio said this on October 19, 2011 at 11:39 am
Great to see one out and about in Japan – apparently there are 70 there? As an owner can confirm they are utterly brilliant.
schaeffs said this on October 25, 2011 at 5:45 pm