2012 Audi R8 - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

Being an expensive, relatively exclusive, luxury sports car, the 2012 Audi R8 hasn't been crash tested by either the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) nor the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety).

Lack of official stamp of approval aside, the R8 offers Audi's brand reputation for excellent crash safety, an extremely high-tech aluminum space frame, and a strong suite of standard safety features.

Some of those features include quattro all-wheel drive; dual front, side, and knee airbags (though not even coupes get side curtain airbags); anti-lock brakes; traction control, and stability control. The stability control has a performance mode setting that allows more fun while still reigning in unsafe impulses.

Optional extras that aren't strictly safety-related but which can aid in keeping an eye on things around the low-slung R8 include parking sensors and a rearview camera. They're standard on V-10 models, but are a definite desired feature for the V-8s, too, as they make backing up and positioning the car much easier. The optional LED headlights are also a nice extra, providing brighter, whiter light improving both visibility out of the R8 and toward it.