1984 Lotus Esprit Turbo Restored And Very Clean! on 2040-cars

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eBay Find of the Day: 2000 Lotus 340R, claimed only street-legal example in US

These days most of the news out of Lotus comes when it releases a lighter or faster version of the Elise, Exige or Evora. However, the stripped-out, Elise-based 340R might already show the logical conclusion of that concept, despite coming out in 2000. Now, one of the 340 made is up for auction on eBay Motors, and the seller in Fort Lauderdale, FL, claims that it's the only street-legal example available in the US.
Lotus founder Colin Chapman always had an obsession with making his vehicles as light as possible, and the 340R adhered to that adage about as closely as a street car could in 2000. These minimalist roadsters eschewed opening doors, windows and a roof in the pursuit of cutting the fat off the brand's hardly portly Elise. The company's engineers also trimmed away the fenders to give their creation a semi-open wheel design that looked as wild when new as today. For the interior, they installed two racing buckets, and the most of the rest was left in bare metal, including the pedals. All of the changes reportedly brought the 340R down to around 1,545 pounds.
Power comes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with a five-speed manual gearbox. The 340R is available with 177 horsepower or a tuned 187-hp version from that mill, but the seller doesn't specify which one this is. It's still a pretty fresh car, though, with just 3,577 miles claimed on the odometer.

Elise Time Attack could be most extreme Lotus yet

The Lotus Elise has given birth to some seriously fast and varied machinery. Aside from Lotus' own models like the Exige, 2-Eleven, 340R and Europa, electric vehicles like the Tesla Roadster, not to mention the never-released Dodge Circuit and Detroit Electric SP:01, are all based on the Elise's platform. As were/are the Melkus RS 2000, the Opel Speedster/Vauxhall VX220 and the Hennessey Venom GT. But this could be the most extreme use of the lightweight chassis yet.
This Series 1 Elise has been built by one performance-obsessed Brit with a single purpose: to compete in the UK's Time Attack championship. For those unfamiliar, Time Attack is something like a rally or a hillclimb event, only it takes place on a racing circuit. Each vehicle goes out on the track by itself and sets the best time it can, without needing to worry about other competitors until the finish line is crossed and it's the next racer's turn. That's what drove Lee to modify his Lotus so thoroughly, with more wings, diffusers, flaps and carbon fiber than a Boeing factory. Check it out in the video below.

Lotus announces race-ready Exige V6 Cup and Cup R

Lotus has pulled off the wraps on two new versions of the Exige: the V6 Cup and the V6 Cup R. Based on the Exige S, the V6 Cup is built to be a dual-purpose street and track machine. The 0-60 dash should take just under 3.8 seconds thanks to a full 345 horsepower from a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine. Weighing in at 2,380 pounds, the V6 Cup should be an absolute riot to drive, and with a full FIA-approved roll cage, fire extinguisher and six-point race harnesses on board, it's plenty safe, too. Two-way adjustable dampers are standard, as are AP Racing four-piston calipers on all four corners. More importantly, drivers can expect to find the Lotus Dynamic Performance Management system in the cockpit, complete with Touring, Sport and DPM Off modes.
The V6 Cup R, meanwhile, is both lighter and offers more horsepower than the standard V6 Cup. The same blown V6 dishes out 366 horsepower in R trim, and the whole contraption tips the scales at 2,292 pounds. Of course, the same spate of race hardware is stock, minus the DPM system. A lightweight battery, track-spec tow loops and quick-release engine cover help separate the Cup R from its more civil sibling, as do performance brake pads and better oil and water cooling systems.
Check out the brief press release below for more information. Both of the new models are headed for a debut at the 2013 Autosport International Show.