They were certainly a leap forward at that point in time. GM made a firm commitment to give American sports car enthusiasts something to brag about. Beautiful example OCG -- and still s showstopper in my book.
At that time I owned a '83 Camaro Berlinetta with the 305ci V8, 5 speed manual, limited slip diff., T-Tops, and 245/60-14 radials. It was a great highway cruiser. Even at the lowly Camaro level you could see the influence of the Corvette.