Now that we have identified several manufacturers who can make custom badges for us, I had a conversation with the designer this morning, who's taking this very seriously.

She's done some research already on automobile badges, which are actually rooted in the tradition of heraldry. She's going to work up a number of different approaches, some contemporary, using the S, and some more in the heraldry tradition (like the Porsche badge). She's also going to work up several with an animal motif (another tradition, e.g., the Ferrari prancing horse) and asked me what animal she should use.

I told here that a horse made sense (see my signature to know my bias) but that she might also try a dragon and maybe a panther or some other kind of large cat. A snake might also work.

She also loves the idea of the S being the predominant motif, since, as she commented, "it's a great letter to design around."

Any reactions or suggestions? We need as many ideas as possible at this point to give her some creative directions.

[Edited by Rick Hesel on 03-02-2001 at 06:02 PM]

 

I like the S and the Dragon motif. Then again the Dragon has a special place in my heart and probably will in all of yours too once April has come ang gone!

Look forward to seeing shat she comes up with!

 

I wonder if the S actually being part of a snake or the dragon's tail would be too obvious a suggestion?

On the other hand - How about having the dragon breathing fire and toasting a Cobra (hehe...sorry 'Stang fans - I have a '66 coupe myself, just couldn't pass up the chance!)

 

i'm in the for the dragon in silver with a red S

 

Seen from the front, the nose of the car has a very snakelike look to it, with the lights and wheel arches forming a strikingly diamond-shaped head. So I'd vote for a snake first, although a dragon would also work if its head had the same shape to it.

 

Just remember as you think about ideas that we can have items in the design that are in relief, metal foils, enameled, etc. The modern manufacturing processes for badges of this kind give us a lot of lattitude.

 

I recently searched the internet for Dragon logos and artwork. There are quite a few out there, including some that incorporate the dragon tale as an 'S', followed by text. However, a dragon is a very complex piece of art which would be difficult to simplify for a relatively small motif. An alternate could be to use dragon wings extending from a circular design - similar to the single wing of the Honda motorbike logo. I'm not sure about the use of other animals though. Horses, panthers and snakes hardly have any real association with the S2000, or with Honda. Besides, horses and panthers would be likely to infer Ferraris and Jaguars.

 

How bout the cheeta? Its the fastest land animal.....its very very refined no fat or flab on the animal. Lean mean Boxster killing machine.

 

Hmmm, I'm looking forward to seeing what she comes up with. I like the idea of a Dragon (for obvious reasons), too. I vote for the Dragon. Also, the Dragon has a long tradition in Asian literature, culture and poetry. It's a natural connection, if you ask me...

 

Here's my 2 cents, for what they're worth (maybe more, maybe less...depending on how the market is doing):
I'd prefer something clean and purposeful, like the car itself. The S2000 doesn't have any fluff (with the exception of the power top). I'd question how things like dragons, snakes, horses, or other animals really fit in with what Honda has created. Let's be careful not to create something that's too self-conscious. Let's also be careful not to create something that mimics designs and traditions started (and earned) in the fifties.