The nice thing about a car like this is that the suspension is so adjustable you can experiment with non-factory settings, so I got them to add a little extra toe-in at the rear to see if it helped the car turn-in better. Next I intend taking some 'bar' off the front, going for the middle position of the three holes, which we'll try out at the next evoactive trackday, hoping it'll help quell the initial understeer the car currently suffers from.

The trick with changes like these is to do things one at a time and keep the alterations minimal so you can keep track of the effect they're having, as it's all too easy to get the handling horribly wrong. So far, however, the 340R feels great. In fact, I'd even venture that it's never been better.

Meanwhile, I'd like someone to explain to me why these cars aren't worth anything now, having recently slipped below the ΂£20K level (to give you an idea how cheap that is, ours would have cost over ΂£42,000 new if Lotus hadn't thrown in the 190bhp kit, sports exhaust and straight cut 'box for free). The VHPD engine for a new Elise would cost you ΂£10K on its own, whilst a used 340R with the same lump could be yours for around ΂£19K and would run rings around the Elise on track. Strange but true.