America's haphazard flagship response is coming in the form of Chevy's Volt. The plug-in hybrid sedan is hoped to hit the market in 2010, with a sticker price expected to hover around $40,000. Color me underwhelmed.

Nothing's shocking
Are the Japanese poised to drink our milkshake? I'd say so. But we've been here before. Back in the mid '70s, Toyota and Honda were well-positioned to capitalize on our newfound need for fuel economy with their Corollas and Civics.

What did Detroit have to offer? Consider the Chrysler Cordoba. The two-door luxury coupe debuted in 1975 and was touted as "the small Chrysler." It weighed 4,000 pounds, was 18 feet long and boasted a 400 cubic-inch V8. Eventually, the Big Three all rolled out import fighters and were able to hold their own.

If history repeats itself, American automakers will find their niche in the new marketplace. But with the cost of a gallon of gas eclipsing that of a cheeseburger and fries(!), that epiphany can't come soon enough.

James Booth is Editor-at-Large at ZATZ Publishing. In addition to writing for Computing Unplugged and Connected Photographer, he's the author of Do-It-Yourself Wedding Photography. A self-taught photographer, James also dabbles in digital graphics and has learned to be a PC and handheld specialist through personal trial and error. James can be reached at jbooth@zatz.com.