If you’re stuck in a strange city and need to rent a car, then there’s an app for that. Vehicle rental firm Zipcar has launched an iPhone application for locating, reserving and even unlocking hire cars using the Apple smartphone.

Zipcar's iPhone app: handy

The app – which is also compatible with the iPod Touch – plots the location of nearby rental cars using Google Maps. Each green ‘Z’ represents an individual car, with information about motor’s make, model and hire charges also available.

While all that may sound pretty standard, Zipcar’s app also enables you to remotely honk the car’s horn – very handy if your rented yellow Mini is parked beside three similar models or if you’re in a coffee shop across the road and want to scare passing pedestrians.

Zipcar’s app also does away with the need for keys, because a cellular network-connected “black box” inside each car apparently enables you unlock your hire car using the app’s virtual key feature.

Unlock cars using the app itself

Other notable features include the ability to extend or cancel reservations from your iPhone and to sort car availability according to make or model.

The Zip car application is free to download through Apple’s App Store. ®

Related stories

• Acer unveils Android-based 'Liquid' A1 (14 October 2009)
• First speech-to-text app for phones launched (7 October 2009)
• Windows Mobile 6.5 ships today (6 October 2009)
• Acer's Autumn smartphone line-up uncovered (2 October 2009)
• Irate iPhone owner allegedly shows gun to Apple Store worker (2 October 2009)
• Apple admits third of iPhone calls in New York are dropped (30 September 2009)
• Vodafone joins the iPhone throng (29 September 2009)
• iPhone App Store tops 2,000,000,000 downloads (28 September 2009)
• iPhone voted UK's 'coolest brand' (28 September 2009)
• Orange gets UK iPhone deal (28 September 2009)