In every development process, crash safety is of utmost priority for Audi. Each new model must comply not only with European standards, but also with the regulations of major export countries as well as strict specifications that the brand itself has defined.

Cars from Audi also meet all the requirements in the event of an accident involving a pedestrian. In the A8, for example, a foam component between the front bumper and its cross-member lessens the impact on the knees.

Undesired resonant vibrations in the body are strictly taboo. At Audi a great deal of work goes into preventing or minimizing such vibrations. In the A8, for example, the development engineers specifically analyzed and minimized all vibration levels at the contact points between the passengers and the body – the floor panel, the seats, the steering wheel, and the inside mirror.

Static torsional stiffness, the resistance to torsion in the longitudinal direction, is a critical factor in determining a body’s strength and a primary consideration for each new design from Audi. In the A8, for example, torsional stiffness increased by approximately 25 percent compared with the previous model. In the TT Coupé the increase was 50 percent, and in the TT Roadster an outstanding 100 percent.