Critics of Honda's Acura division have long said its front-wheel-drive-dominated model range and lack of V8 power prevent it from truly rivaling Lexus, BMW and Mercedes. But according to a top company executive, the brand has even more premium marquees in its sights: Bentley and Maybach.

"We want to rival Bentley and Maybach in performance and design," Dave Marek, chief designer for Honda R&D Americas told industry trade publication Automotive News in an interview.

Its unclear how Acura plans to move toward this goal, especially with a product roadmap devoid of any ultra-premium offerings, but it's clear the company hopes to sharpen its image considerably in the coming years.

So far, the most premium Acura in the pipeline is the next-generation NSX, which could end up as a front- or mid-engine sports car with either V8 or V10 power. Based loosely on the Advanced Sports Car Concept, details of the new NSX largely remain a mystery. Most recently, CEO Takeo Fukui said the car has been delayed.

And even with the new NSX on its way, it remains to be seen how the company could possibly draw parallels with either Bentley or Maybach.