It’s not something you necessarily consider when modifying a vehicle to your taste, but it’s the first thing you touch before driving—so why not install a more beautiful door handle on your car? A company by the name of Ästhetik thought the same, and came up with a design for any BMW E30 that, surely, must be the right kind of overkill.
After reverse-engineering the original BMW part, designers Dmitriy Orlov and Nick Caron sought to honor the ethos that “everything is important” with their reimagined component. Three-dimensional prints were made, CNC machining was used, and the distinctive M Motorsport-inspired halftone pattern on its face was a “random idea,” but one that “relayed the idea clearly” of getting into the car, Orlov writes.
“The handle itself is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum and then hard coat anodized. It then goes back into the mill for the pattern (a 45deg chamfer endmill pecks the surface, creating small cone shapes in the metal),” he says. “The part is then laser engraved with brand and part number.”
It’s a project that’s very much—as Orlov admits—a wait-and-see proposition, but Ästhetik’s approach isn’t going anywhere. “We agreed that if it barely gets any traction, we will continue to do more and see how it goes,” he said.
I’m excited to see what’s next, and if car owners are soon able to fit more substantial, well-designed aftermarket components to their classics. What do you think of these reimagined handles for the E30…and what should be next?
