The last time the 340R appeared in these pages was in October 2005. Back then the front radiator had just split, which meant the body would have to come off. The result was that the car went into hibernation for a while…

When I finally got round to replacing the rad I discovered the immobiliser had given up the ghost too, which meant the 340R had to be sent to the service department at Hethel. It came back fully functioning and serviced, with new discs and pads up front and fresh tyres all round – and a bill for £3023.06. The charge for the service alone was £1681.59, thanks mainly to it needing eight hours of workshop time to complete. Good job the 340R is still as special to drive as it ever was…