It is called Android Auto, after all.

You can actually deploy the Android Auto system from just about anywhere, no car needed.

You can use a wireless Android Auto dongle, connect natively via Wi-Fi P2P, or use a third-party app called Wireless Helper.

If you don't have two devices, you can use the Android Auto developer server, basically broadcasting a self-hosted server, to run Android Auto from and on the same device.

The Android Auto instance is running on your phone or another core device.