It’s really interesting how Japanese cars are really making it big in muscle car America. Toyota Prius is on top of the hybrid food chain as demand for eco-friendly and fuel-economic cars surge for the past months CNN reports.

A total of 187,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the United States in the first six months of 2007, according to J.D. Power. Sales of hybrid vehicles are expected to decline slightly in the second half of the year but, nevertheless, J.D. Power expects a total of 345,000 to be sold over the whole year. That would compare to 256,000 sold in 2006.

With the ever rising prices of gasoline, hybrid cars have started to be the car of choice for many. I guess gas-guzzling power will have to take spots behind fuel concerns. Many have criticized the American preference for gas-guzzling SUVs and V8+ muscle cars. But now, many consumers are going the other way and it’s proving to be a lucrative market for hybrids.

And it’s the Japanese who control a fair share of the market with Toyota and Honda. American manufacturers have also entered the hybrid market but hey, pennypinchers know nothing beats Japanese cars’ maintenance costs.

“High gas prices during the first half of 2007, coupled with automakers lowering the price premium for most hybrid models, have given the hybrid market a boost,” said Mike Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates.