Acura Meets with Dealers talks about moving 'up a Tier'

Apparently Acura is having aspirations of moving one step closer to the BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, and Lexus level. I would imagine that alot of Acura's identity crisis has become as a result of recent 'brand studies' and where they are percieved next to their peers.
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/01/honda-and-toyota-top-consumer-reports.html

Let's face it, most of Acura's lineup is close to what is offered by Honda themselves (I still giggle when I see a CSX drive by).

In a 45 minute meeting with dealers Acura said that the brand will be adding one new vehicle a year (including changes to existing models).

“In the next year there will be a huge shift toward tier 1, and the dealer body is excited about that shift,” said Valerie Voyles, CEO of the Ed Voyles Automotive Group in metro Atlanta.

“We’re not up there with Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but a big shift is coming,” Voyles said. “You’ll see more separation of the brands (Acura and Honda), with more Acura-only product.”

Here is the original link;
http://www.egmcartech.com/2008/02/18/acura-to-make-huge-shift-to-tier-1-luxury-will-offer-acura-only-vehicles/