The 1982 World Rally Championship was the tenth season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC).
1982 marked the return of New Zealand to the schedule in place of Argentina's Rally Codasur.
Top Audi pilots Michèle Mouton and Hannu Mikkola took second and third in the drivers' race, but their combined efforts were enough to put Audi over the top for the work's cup.
The two events in 1982 which applied only to driver standings were Sweden and the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire.
Röhrl's strong performance in both of these rallies would have improved Opel's bid for a world title had they counted for manufacturers as well as drivers.