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/