Large-scale crash simulations are essential tools in the design and validation of modern vehicles. Over the past decades, major advances in computational mechanics and materials modelling have enabled the development of lighter, more efficient, and safer cars. Today’s models encompass thousands of components made of aluminium, steel, polymers, and composites, each represented by constitutive descriptions capable of capturing complex deformation and failure behaviour. Beyond individual materials, the integrity of the structure depends critically on the joining techniques—welding, riveting, adhesive bonding, or hybrids—that connect these components and must sustain severe dynamic loading. Given this level of maturity, it is natural to ask: where are the next challenges in crash simulation research? While industrial models have reached impressive predictive capabilities, several fundamental challenges remain. These concern, for instance, the accurate modelling of material failure and ductility in recycled materials, the representation of joints that combine disparate materials and scales, and the integration of new energy systems—such as lithium-ion batteries—whose mechanical behaviour under crash or impact remains challenging to predict accurately. Moreover, as vehicle architectures evolve toward electrification and circularity, ensuring structural robustness and crashworthiness while maintaining lightweight design poses additional challenges for both simulation fidelity and computational efficiency.