Performance: Before we talk about performance, we need to take into account the fuel crises of 1973 and 1979 that led to very strict laws governing cars and engines. During the reign of the '82 Recaro, efficiency and fuel economy were the buzz words of the day. Due to a complex web of interrelated issues, this general era (late 70s, early 1980s) was, and remains to this day, the worst time to be a musclecar since the mid-1950s, when V8 musclecars first became popular. This chart illustrates how severe the problem really was for 1982. Even GM's Corvette supercar with its 350 V8 was rated at only 200 horsepower. Considering all the incredible restrictions placed by the government on manufacturers in 1982, and considering engine / transmissions disagreements between Chevy & Pontiac which led to very limited drivetrain options, the performance they managed to squeeze in is quite amazing. The engines listed below won't go down in the history books as the best performers, but they kept musclecars alive for the time being and we thank them for that.

For a 1982 Trans Am, the WS6 Performance Package is optional, but it's standard equipment on Recaro T/A's. It includes the following (WS6 on a Firebird S/E and/or a V6 car and/or non-1982 will be slightly different) :

• 4-wheel disc brakes, very rare for 1982 due to hardware shortage (standard is discs up front, drums in the rear);
• 12.7:1 quick steering box ratio, appx. 2.6 steering wheel revolutions (standard is 14:1 with 3 revs);
• 15x7" Turbo Cast Aluminum wheels (standard is 14x7" Turbo Cast Aluminum wheels);
• 32mm front and 21mm rear anti-sway bars (standard is 30mm and 12mm);
• Stiffer spring rates of 96 N/mm front and 23.5 N/mm rear (standard is 64 N/mm front, 18 N/mm rear);
• 3.23 locking differential, i.e. positraction (standard is open rear differential, I think 2.93);
• Dual resonator exhaust with stereo effect sound (standard is single resonator?);
• 14" collapsible spare tire (standard for non-positraction cars is a 13" band-aid);
• Two front suspension braces instead of one (according to my friend Kevin's site)

All 82 Recaros came standard with WS6 or WS7 performance package so traction and handling of curves etc. on the road is comparable to that of a Porsche or Ferrari, and cars even more exquisite and expensive than that. WS7 denoted the code for a performance package GM created which had everything WS6 had except rear disc brakes, due to a shortage. In fact I have never seen a 1982 Recaro *without* WS6. Recaros got first dibs on the few rear disc axles that were available. Mine came with WS6, as have all others I have come across.

The coefficient of drag (CD) is a measure of aerodynamic properties of a car, and the lower the better. Zero would be no friction at all. On the 82 Trans Am it is an amazing 0.32, making this body style the most aerodynamic one GM had ever tested and produced at the time (and much better than the Camaro sister car). Even today, that CD is not far from cutting-edge.