The 1982 Corvette would continue to carry forward traits from older-generation Corvettes – the 1982 Corvette was the last of a generation which dated its basic body structure to the 1968 model and its chassis back to 1963 – it would also continue to be a “test bed” for technology destined for the fourth-generation Corvette.
Chevrolet recognized that it did not make sense to release a new drivetrain at the same time as a new overall design, so it was decided that the 1982 C3 Corvette would be fitted with the revised engine and transmission developed for the new C4.
The engine found in the 1982 Corvettes delivered a peak torque of 285lbs/ft at 2,800 rpms. While neither of these numbers was overly impressive, the modest increases in horsepower and torque was still an improvement over the 1981 Corvette. More important, though, was the fact that this horsepower increase was achieved while emission outputs were reduced at the same time. Interestingly, the L83 engine was the only engine offered to consumers during production of the 1982 Corvette.
