Given the success of its long-running Seven, still manufactured by Caterham and much copied by others, perhaps the most surprising thing is not that Lotus had another stab at building a stripped-down, back-to-basics sportscar, but that it took them so long.

First shown as a concept car at the 1998 British International Motor Show, the 340R uses the Elise's bonded aluminium mid-engined chassis, basic running gear and 1.8-litre Rover K-Series engine in its 177bhp form.

Originally the target bhp/ton power-to-weight ratio, the '340' ended up being the maximum production figure for this exclusive and exciting car.

Even more Spartan than the Elise, the 340R lacks roof, doors, windows and heater, all omitted in the cause of weight reduction, while the narrowed body makes do with carbon-fibre cycle wings instead of the real thing.

The end result is a fantastic car looking like no other in current production and one that, according to EVO magazine, enables its driver to 'bask in the quizzic...