Alpine and Lacoste debut one-off A290 Rallye with ERPRO 3D-printed lattice seat components

Alpine and Lacoste unveiled a one-off Alpine A290 Rallye called Beware of the Crocodile, built on Alpine's performance-focused, customer-racing A290 platform. Inside, ERPRO 3D printed lattice-structure components for the rally seats, using internal strut geometries to cut material while spreading load, paired with Lacoste's red-toned petit piqué interior embroidered by Potencier. Alpine frames the printed seat parts as part of a broader mass-reduction effort for the electric rally build, where weight directly affects acceleration and range. This marks Alpine's second known project with ERPRO, following the March 2025 A390_beta show car, where ERPRO printed headrests in Arkema's bio-based Rebax Rnew elastomer alongside Lavoisier Composites' carbon and photovoltaic-silicon floor panels.

The repeat engagement points to Alpine treating additive manufacturing as a standing tool for low-volume, functional interior parts on concept and limited-run vehicles rather than a single demo exercise, a pattern also visible at other automakers using AM for tooling, jigs, and bespoke trim ahead of any serial-production commitment. Lattice structures suit this niche because they let a single print combine load distribution, weight savings, and comfort tuning that molded foam or machined parts handle less efficiently, though the one-off nature of this build keeps it firmly a showcase rather than a production signal. The practical takeaway is that ERPRO now has two dated, named automotive references with Alpine spanning different materials and part types, a track record other OEMs evaluating service bureaus for interior AM work can weigh directly.