You could have this Lotus 340R for the price of an AMG A45 S

Here’s a dilemma for you – the Merc-AMG A45 S would set you back £51,235 if you were to buy one new in the UK today. For that you’d get a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 415bhp, as well as five seats, a boot and a roof.

However, for similar money you could have the above – a Lotus 340R that’s heading up for auction this coming weekend through Classic Car Auctions. In fact, the estimate is between £45,000 and £50,000, so you might even have a few grand spare for track days. Result. 

Obviously you won’t quite get the creature comforts of the Merc, although you do get a 1.8-litre Rover K Series engine that makes 177bhp. The glamour…

What a thing the 340R is though. Essentially a chopped-up, open-wheeled Elise, it only weighs around 700kg and manages 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds. It’s also one of the most brilliantly bonkers-looking road cars from the 21st century, and this one only has 2,900 miles on the clock.

There’s a five-speed manual gearbox, carbon fibre seats, a blue Alcantara steering wheel and a sports exhaust. Oh, and only 340 examples were ever built. 

Which would you go for, Internet?

Images: Classic Car Auctions