BRITISH sports car company Caterham has unveiled its new Seven 340 for the European and Japanese markets.

Sitting above the Seven 170, the Seven 340 continues the brand's tradition of offering good balance of power and confidence-inspiring performance.

Superseding the Seven 275 following the discontinuation of the Ford Sigma engine, the Seven 340 features a naturally aspirated, four cylinder, 2.0-litre Duratec engine, producing 170bhp and a 25 per cent uplift in power compared to the outgoing 275 model.

Seven 340 buyers can pick from two packs, S and R.

Caterham says the road-going Seven 340S is for the more laid-back driver who wants a fun grand touring experience. It comes with a five-speed gearbox, road suspension pack, 14-inch alloy wheels, a full windscreen, hood and side screens and black leather seats.

Meanwhile, the 340R is best suited to the track day fan and is fitted with a limited-slip differential, sport suspension pack, 15-inch alloy wheels, fa our-point road harnesses, carbon-fibre dashboard and a composite aeroscreen.

The company says the availability of the S and R packs in the middle-of-the-range Seven means the ‘do everything Caterham'.

Seven 340 is offered in standard and large chassis sizes and is only available in factory-built form.

EU prices for Seven 340S and Seven 340R start at â¬45,700.00 and â¬47,200.00, respectively.

CEO of Caterham Cars, Bob Laishley, said: "We are delighted to expand our EU range with the new Seven 340 following sustained demand to fill the gap in our range left by the discontinuation of Seven 275.

"Thanks to Seven 340 being available with an S and R pack, it really is the do everything Caterham. It's a car that lends itself perfectly to those long road trips and Sunday drives, while the R version is more than capable of setting blistering lap times across Europe's premium race circuits."