The spec on the Arduino website actually lists 12v as the upper limit of the 'recommended' range. The absolute maximum is 20v, although I get the feeling it wouldn't last long at that voltage.
If I understood what I read correctly, the worst you should get is a spike up to 18v -- unless there's something disastrously wrong with the car. Being able to handle up to 20v should protect against any spikes.
Given there's no heatsink on the reg I'd be reluctant to use it in my car like that given the normal operating supply voltage with the engine running is approx. 14.5v. If it was running all the time I wonder if that could reduce the lifespan of the device.
Looking at the board, it appears that the microscopic heatsink is soldered to a pad on the board. Perhaps it'd be wise to add a small voltage regulator of my own, regardless.
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