2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, 68th Street and Third Avenue

I have only rarely seen Gallardos, but seeing one on a flatbed is a new one for me- likely being delivered. This example sports a flat black paint job with matching flat black wheels. After a bit of research discovered that the black wheels are an optional extra costing $4,460, and the matte black paint job weighs in at an eye watering $26,600.

2009 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 46th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue

People bang on about modified suspension geometry being one of the things that finally makes this a proper supercar, but the most astounding reviews of this car are expelled from the mouth of Lord Clarkson: 'Enzo fast.' I spotted the secondary double glazing on the engine cover from a distance. It did look good being helmed down Vanderbilt by a happy man with grey hair and a pot belly.

1994 ИМЗ-Ural, 71st Street and Second Avenue

 

I spotted this after coming out of Grace's Marketplace with a hundredweight of overpriced organic veggies and juices to soothe a hangover, and even through one bleary eye behind a smeared glasses lens I was able to pick out that fuel tank shape and kneepad, and the passenger seat. A vintage BMW is one of my favorite things on earth. It was only when I got closer I realized it was a Ural! Great story behind these- the Russians basically knew the panzers were coming in 1941, and didn't have a good bike for the Red Army, so they just bought up a few used R-71s from some Scandos and started cranking their own out (the Krauts rather sniffily packed up R-71 production in 1942). The factory had to be moved to the Urals during the siege of Moscow, hence the name. They've been making this reverse-engineered BMW copy ever since.

1982 Ferrari 400, 65th Street and Third Avenue

More often than not the 400 is seen as being a bit of a head scratcher from the house of the prancing pony. It looks like part Jag and part Daytona, but the front is really more Rover SD1. This has appeared on several compilation lists of bad cars in the past, but despite the malaise looks at the front end it seems rather promising. It  was Ferrari's first automatic, with a three speed (!) from Chrysler (!!) as an option, but this one has the five speed manual, mated to a gorgeous 4.8 litre Ferrari V-12 putting out 335 horsepower. Not only that, but the 400 was never imported to the States, making this grey market example extremely rare.

1985-2000 HMMWV, 26th Street and Madison Avenue

Is there any way to tell these model years apart? I've seen photos of the new Oshkosh M-ATV which will be replacing the venerable HMMWV, being designed to deflect explosions from roadside bombs. It's an extraordinary vehicle, and supposedly much safer for troops, but certainly doesn't have the terrific Tom Clancy/Jerry Bruckhimer action star look of the HumVee, along with a hint of the DNA of Willys Jeeps. I'm sure we'll be seeing these in service for decades, though.