  In this paper, we introduce the design of HackCar, a testing platform for
replicating attacks and defenses on a generic automotive system without
requiring access to a complete vehicle. This platform empowers security
researchers to illustrate the consequences of attacks targeting an automotive
system on a realistic platform, facilitating the development and testing of
security countermeasures against both existing and novel attacks. The HackCar
platform is built upon an F1-10th model, to which various automotive-grade
microcontrollers are connected through automotive communication protocols. This
solution is crafted to be entirely modular, allowing for the creation of
diverse test scenarios. Researchers and practitioners can thus develop
innovative security solutions while adhering to the constraints of
automotive-grade microcontrollers. We showcase our design by comparing it with
a real, licensed, and unmodified vehicle. Additionally, we analyze the behavior
of the HackCar in both an attack-free scenario and a scenario where an attack
on in-vehicle communication is deployed.
