More and more automakers and car enthusiasts are jumping into the role of tech developer. As previously reported, Mercedes-Benz Financial recently announced that owners can now pay their monthly bills via a new iPhone app. The Silver Arrow says a vast majority of its customers already own a smart phone, so it was only logical to take the next step and make it easy as can be for them to fork over their hard-earned dollars (or euros) every month. While the new app isn’t the company’s first, it’s far more functional than the virtual museum tour that is the Silver Star app. The good news is that if you’re an iPhone user without a Mercedes-Benz, there are still plenty of useful/fan car apps out there. Hop to the jump for our favorite three.

1. iGasUp

Fuel prices may have fallen off from the mortgage-rivaling levels of a few summers ago, but that doesn’t mean we don’t spend plenty of time searching for the lowest possible gas prices. iGasUp takes care of the guesswork and points you to the local gas stations with the lowest prices, shows exactly how much fuel will cost when you get there, and even has a “closest” option for when you’re running on vapors. iGasUp is very cool, especially when in unfamiliar territory.

2. Trapster

It’s not that we endorse speeding; we just hate having to stop and talk to the local law enforcement. Trapster allows you to identify speed traps as you drive along and alerts you to upcoming traps other drivers have noted on the app. While not as fail-proof as, say, not speeding, Trapster is considerably cheaper than a high-end radar detector and protects against tricks like laser speed detection. You can even get it for the likes of the BlackBerry, Android phones or TomTom GPS devices. Now that’s progress.

3. iWrecked

Odds are, if you get into any sort of accident, the last thing on your mind will be what information your driving instructor told you to jot down. Fortunately, iWrecked has you covered. The app does most of the post-collision thinking for you and provides a complete accident report for you to fill out. You can even snap a few photos of the carnage and attach them to the file. It may just keep you from walking away with a bit of info the insurance company will need later.

(Photo courtesy of Apple.)