Actually, that *could* be as new as an '82 'Vette - since K.I.T.T. was an '82 Trans Am, I suppose it could've gone either way - but I get what you're saying... that would've been pretty cool, too.
But, Kit's right about the '80s being the "hardware" decade - pretty much everything was 'techie' in some fashion or manner... Blue Thunder, Airwolf, the Transformers, et al. "Sensitive, macho guy era of the '70s," I'm not entirely buying that - I don't recall the Bandit being all 'that' sensitive as he was leading Buford T. Justice around the countryside destroying his car(s).
... well... except for maybe the Duke Boys.
I'm just glad The Dukes of Hazzard originally came out in the '80s. Could you imagine the General Lee as a hopped-up Dodge Stratus if it had come out in the '00s like the movie? (((shudder)))
That picture is totally channelling the first Tim Burton Batmobile - draw some batfins on that sucker and squint... yeah... totally seeing that.