DARIO MINIERI

With close to $2 million in total winnings, Dario’s a young upcoming Italian poker star. While among the elites of nearby Monaco his Porsche Cayman might be a fairly mundane vehicle, not many ordinary Britons have one of these to impress their co-wokers and friends. He reportedly bought the car with Frequent Player Points.

PHIL IVEY

While Daniel Negreanu is widely regarded as the planet’s best poker player, with a net worth of around $100 million Phil Ivey certainly has the money to splurge on the car of his dreams. He has been seen driving around in his 2005 Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren – a car for which he forked out around half a million dollars. On Sundays, when he probably wants to create an even more elegant impression, he has a couple of Rolls Royce Phantoms to choose from.

VANESSA ROUSSO

Vanessa is one of the best-performing female winners in history with winnings in excess of $3.5 million, and she’s got the cars to match her track record. First she bought a stunning lemon-yellow Lamborghini Gallardo, but she soon traded that in for something less flashy: a 2012 Bentley GT.

DAN BILZERIAN

This guy refers to himself as the King of Instagram. He as quite a royal lifestyle, with cars to match his reported fortune of well over €150 million. Here’s just a couple of the cars he’s owned so far:

• Bentley Continental GT worth around €190,000
• 1965 AC Shelby Cobra 427 worth more than €1.8 million
• Lamborghini Aventador – worth nearly €400,000

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The Chevrolet Camaro is a valid alternative to the Ford Mustang. Both are available in v6 and v8 engine sizes of comparable horsepower and track times. Fuel mileage is, of course, equally terrible in all options but if you’re worried about that then you should be shopping for a Toyota Prius.

Dodge brought the Challenger back in 2008, its third iteration since inception. These two cars are so close in standard features, performance and price point that the ultimate deciding factor might be style choice or brand preference. Notable is the Challenger’s larger frame and curb weight that makes it slightly less nimble on the quarter mile and has less fuel economy with the plus of being able to fit five passengers instead of the Mustang’s four.

There are import options in the same price range as the Mustang. Although not muscle cars per say, the Hyundai Genesis, and the Subaru BZR offer considerable bang for the buck. The smaller liter engines rely heavily on turbo chargers, tuning and low curb weight in order to give comparable performance, however the Mustang beats all when it comes to raw power. Still, they are options if one doesn’t mind straying from American automakers.

Organising your work space is crucial, and there are some essential pieces of equipment that will make your project much easier:

Compressor

A mid-range air compressor will be essential to supply air to pneumatic sanders, wrenches and screwdrivers. If you plan to do your own paint job, it will supply air to air-fed masks worn when spraying in a booth.

Auto Body Kit

This will contain all you need to work on fenders and other body areas, and should include pullers and a rubber mallet.

Paint booth

If you intend to paint your muscle car yourself, and have the space in your workshop, constructing a paint booth is straightforward and will save you a great deal of money.

Trolley Jack and Jack Stands

You will need two trolley jacks, one for each end of the car, and a jack stand for each corner.

Vehicle Mover

It can be difficult to move a car in a confined space, but with a vehicle mover, a person working single-handed can move any car safely and efficiently. Stringo offer an extensive range of ergonomically-designed vehicle movers in sizes to meet every need. Vehicle movers are particularly useful for moving freshly-painted cars without disturbing the finish.

Engine Hoist

An engine hoist is needed to allow you to remove the engine safely, and to reinstall it after restoration.

Electrical Tester

Many older cars will have problems with electrical systems, and this can be one of the trickiest problems that muscle car restorers have to face. An electrical tester will allow you to check the electrical system and get your classic car back on the road all the sooner.

Pneumatic Sander

Possibly the most important part of a paint job is the preparation. Many old cars are badly rusted and will need hours of work to restore them to their original condition. Time and effort will be reduced by using an air sander.

Magnetic LED Lamp

A rechargeable, cordless, magnetic LED lamp can be clamped to any suitable service, such as the underside of the bonnet, and its bright white light will make many awkward jobs much easier.

What is a pony car?

According to cardebater.com, to qualify as a pony car, a vehicle must fulfill a certain number of criteria. It must have been made in the United States, have a low basic spec but with many upgrades available, and be able to seat four people despite having only two doors. Pony cars are also usually built with ordinary, rather than specialist, parts and share distinctive styling features such as an open-mouthed front and a long, low hood.

What is a muscle car?

To qualify as a muscle car, the Muscle Car Club states that a car should be an affordable, mid-sized or larger car with a strong focus on performance and a high-capacity V8 engine. The most important of these requirements is that of high performance: a more basic automobile on which more powerful models are based is unlikely to be recognized as a muscle car.

Conclusion

Although there is some overlap between the strict definitions of a pony car and a muscle car, the two types are clearly distinct. Crucial differences pinpointed by Zero to 60 Times include body size: pony cars are mid-size or smaller, whereas muscle cars may be considerably larger. Pony cars also use the smaller engines in a range, rather than the outright power that muscle cars boast. Used more loosely, the term “muscle car” can include pony cars, although the same is not true in reverse.