MINI Soho.

Special Edition MINI Soho.

Available for a limited time only, the new MINI Soho is a real head-turner.

The MINI Soho, available as a Hatch or Convertible, features exclusive White Silver metallic paint, as well as several of the most sought-after MINI extras as standard, including 17” Black Star Bullet alloy wheels.

With such striking looks, you might think the MINI Soho is all about appearance. However, with go-kart handling and fuelsipping performance, it has substance as well as style.

You’re going to have to move quickly if you don’t want to miss out.

Speak to a member of your local Specialist Cars MINI showroom today!

Stevenage – 01438 760300
Luton – 01582 590690
Tring – 01442 890202

MINI Inspired by Goodwood.

MINI Inspired by Goodwood.

Specialist Cars MINI.

Have you ever wondered what the premium quality of a Rolls-Royce would look like in the compact form of a MINI? Now, with the launch of the MINI Inspired by Goodwood, you can see for yourself.

Previewed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 30 June - 3 July, the limited edition MINI Inspired by Goodwood was designed under the guidance of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team. This addition to the MINI range is built with the highest level of workmanship using top quality materials, resulting in a unique car that combines the luxury of Rolls-Royce with the driving excitement of MINI.

Not only will there be just 1,000 of these magnificent models produced, but the materials used for both the interior and exterior make it one of the most exclusive MINI’s ever made.

The interior of the car is clad in Cornsilk leather, a colour which is characteristic of Rolls-Royce, and features Cashmere headlining and foot mats boasting a deep-pile lambs wool, as well as Piano Black surface finishes to the steering wheel spokes and centre console buttons, and enhanced with instrument dials in Rolls-Royce font. What’s more, the dashboard and interior door arm surfaces are finished in Walnut Burr, a wood quality which can only be found in Rolls- Royce cars.

The exterior is equally as impressive, finished in the prestigious Rolls-Royce colour, Diamond Black and featuring 17-inch, Multi-Spoke alloy wheels, as well as aluminium side scuttles and aluminium tread plates, both with embossed design.

This MINI has the sophistication of Rolls-Royce and maintains the rebellious spirit of MINI, with technological wizardry safeguarding MINI’s reputation for fuel-sipping performance.

To find out more about this exciting new limited addition to the MINI range, call your local Specialist Cars MINI showroom:

Stevenage – 01438 760300
Luton – 01582 590690
Tring – 01442 890202

Snow Centre Offer

Click the image above or Click Here to download the PDF leaflet.

Emma Cattle Silver Medal

IPC European Swimming Championships

Team Luton swimmer, Emma Cattle brought back a Silver Medal from last week's International Paralympic Committee (IPC) European Swimming Championships in Berlin.

23 year old Emma (who swims in the S10 Classification) had a storming week as she set lifetime bests in the 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, 50m Freestyle & 100m Backstroke also breaking her own British Record in the Backstroke & unexpectedly snatching the 50m Freestyle national record that had stood for 11 years

It was a week of intense competition & Emma summed up her performances by saying, "it is now about 6 months since I moved back to train with Team Luton & the hard work both I & Head Coach Pete Woodbridge have put in certainly came through in competition"

The Championships began last Sunday, 3rd July & Emma travelled to Manchester to join up with the rest of the Great Britain squad a week before for final preparations in the holding camp. As a competitive athlete Emma has found over her 5 years of competing internationally that she performs best with a full schedule thus competed in 5 events in Berlin.

The competition got off to a cracking start as she knocked almost 2 seconds off her lifetime best in the 100m Freestyle in a time of 1.06.21 & claim an unexpected 7th place in the final. The following day saw another big lifetime best in the 200m Individual Medley with a time of 2.43.36 & 5th place in the Final. Having said she felt "sluggish" in Wednesday morning's Heats of the 400 Freestyle by the time the evening's Final was swum she felt re-energised & clocked 5.02.65 to be within less than a second of her best time set earlier in the year in Sheffield & finish 7th.

On Thursday it was flat out sprinting in the 50m Freestyle with a lifetime best time in the Heats which she smashed again in the Finals to come so close to dipping under the 30 second mark in a time of 30.38 & saw her claim Sarah Bailey's 11 year British Record that had stood since the Sydney Paralympics. Overall Emma finished 6th in the Final

Friday's 100m Backstroke was a tense affair. In the Heats Emma bettered the previous European Record by all most 0.5 seconds in a time of 1.13.06 but couldn't quite match her Russian rival, Nina Ryabova's time of 1.13.01 from the previous Heat. The Final was nip & tuck but Ryabova pulled away at the turn & despite being closed down by Emma over the last 15m it ended with Silver for Emma in a time of 1.13.16 just over a second behind her rival

Team Luton Head Coach, Pete Woodbridge said "Emma had a fantastic Championships & turned in some really strong performances". There's no rest though for Emma as she heads for Sheffield & the ASA National Championships in Sheffield in just over 2 weeks with her eyes firmly fixed on trying to break the 1.12 mark in the Backstroke & also the 30 second barrier in the 50m Freestyle. Then she's looking forward to a short holiday before an intense 6 months of training in preparation for next Spring's London 2012 qualifying that will be the inaugural competition at the new Olympic Pool in Stratford

Emma Cattle

Specialist Cars
London 2012 Regional Hopeful
Emma Cattle

Specialist Cars are very proud to support local athlete and Paralympic swimmer Emma Cattle. Emma is a promising young athlete with dreams of winning a medal at the London 2012 games. Here’s a little bit more about Emma:

Emma started her swimming career at Team Luton aged 7 & represented the club in various events over the years.  She began competing in Disability Swimming aged 12. Emma holds the following International Classifications: IPC Disability categories S10, SB9 & SM10. The medical diagnosis she has is Cerebral Palsy & is a left sided hemi which means that her left side is much weaker than her right.

Emma was selected for the Disability Swimming World Class Start programme in 2005 and subsequently promoted onto the World Class Pathway Programme in 2006. She moved to Manchester in 2007 to train full time at the High Performance Centre & moved up onto the World Class Podium Programme

Having represented Great Britain since 2006, Emma’s first major championships were the World Championships in South Africa in 2006. This was her international break through year as she also swam for GB at the German & Danish Opens. In 2007, Emma again competed at the German Open & in the Visa Paralympic World Cup in 2007 & 2008. Emma Competed in Paralympics in Beijing 2008 & European Championships in Reykjavik in 2009.

2010 was a tough year due to injury and Emma missed out on qualification for the World Championships by less than 0.5 seconds & unfortunately lost her UK Sport Lottery Funding. She then decided to change her Coach & relocated back to Luton.

In 2011, Emma has qualified for European Championships to be held at the beginning of July & she is currently ranked No 1 in Europe.

Here are some of Emma’s career highlights so far:

International Performance Highlights

• 2008 Paralympics, Beijing – 6th in Final. Broke European Record in Heats
• 2009 European Championships, Reykjavik – Silver Medal 100m Backstroke (Broke European Record in Heats)
• 2009 European Championships, Reykjavik – Bronze Medal 400m Freestyle
• 2006 World Championships, Durban  - 4th 200m Individual Medley

                        - 5th 100m Butterfly
                        - 6th 100m Backstroke

British Titles / Records

• 100m Backstroke (both Long Course & Short Course)
• 50m  Backstroke (both Long Course & Short Course)

Previous European Records Held

• 100m Backstroke (Long Course) set Beijing 2008
• 100m Backstroke (Long Course) set Reykjavik 2009

Previous Britsh Records Held

• 50m Butterfly (British Long Course record) set Coventry 2005
• 50m Butterfly (British Short Course record) set Sheffield 2005
• 100m Butterfly (British Long Course record) set Durban, South Africa 2006
• 200m Butterfly (European Long Course Record) set Coventry 2005

10 quick fire questions we asked Emma:

First sporting success: The first time I was picked to represent my swimming club
Finest sporting moment: Making the Paralympic Final in Beijing 2008 & breaking the European Record in the Heats
Tip for the top: Always work hard & never give in when the going gets tough
Most prized possession: My Mini!!!!
Biggest influence on career: Family and friends
Biggest passion away from swimming: Cooking
3 words that best describe me: committed, determined, quiet
Favourite venue and why: Ponds Forge, Sheffield because it's a fast pool
Tips to relax: Listening to music
Ultimate ambition: To go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games & medal