Dodge Challengers were considered "chick cars", prompting Burt Reynolds to comment "I didn't know they sold these to men."
During a car chase with bad guys on either side of their car, Burt Reynolds says, "Now watch what I do right here." Archer: Yea, duh... I only invented it. Reynolds: Oh, well... nice to meet you Hal Needham. Archer: Whatever. Reynolds slams on the brakes and the bad guys in the two cars start crossfiring at each other then crash. Needham was (then) the highest paid stuntman in the world, and he wrote Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Smokey and the Bandit II (1980). He and Reynolds were best friends.
Krieger calls his van 'Vanispheres'. This is a nod to Canada's famous rock-band Rush. An Image of Krieger is visible on the right side of the van, mocking Rush's sleeve-cover of their 'Hemispheres' record.
The bar in the initial scene is the bar for the 'Hotel Tuntmore', probably owned by Cheryl Tunt's family.