Alpine and Lacoste Put 3D-Printed Lattice Seats in a One-Off A290 Rallye

A crocodile-themed hot hatch with printed seats

Alpine and Lacoste have unveiled a one-off version of the A290 Rallye called Beware of the Crocodile, a play on Lacoste's reptile logo. It is built on the most performance-focused variant of Alpine's electric A290, the same platform the brand uses for customer racing. Under the red-dominated cabin treatment sits something more interesting than stitching: the rally seats include parts made with 3D printing by French specialist ERPRO.

Why print the seat structure

The printed components use lattice geometry, a network of interconnected struts that spreads load while dropping material. Alpine says the approach lets the parts hit a balance that is hard to reach with molded foam or machined pieces: light, comfortable, and structurally sound at the same time. In rallying, every kilogram matters. Less mass means quicker acceleration, sharper handling, and lower energy draw from the electric powertrain.

Lacoste's visible contribution is the cabin styling, built around the color of the crocodile logo's tongue, with petit pique fabric on the seats and door panels. The embroidery work came from workshop Potencier. The 3D-printed structure is the quiet engineering story underneath the fashion.

The second ERPRO tie-up in a year

This is not a one-off in the literal sense. Alpine first worked with ERPRO in March 2025 on the A390 beta show car, where the headrests were printed from a bio-based elastomer from Arkema engineered to be light, breathable, and shock absorbing. That project also pulled in Lavoisier Composites for compression-molded carbon and photovoltaic floor panels.

The repeat partnership signals that Alpine now treats 3D printing as a standing option for low-volume, functional interior parts on concept and limited-run cars, not a one-time demo. Antony Villain, Alpine's VP of Design, framed the A290 Rallye work as a mix of competition tech, light design, and timeless style.

What it means for automotive additive manufacturing

For buyers, none of this is on a configurator yet. For the industry, it is a tidy example of where printed lattices earn their keep: small series, custom geometry, and a weight target that conventional tooling struggles to match. As more automakers chase lightweight interiors for electric performance cars, expect打印 suppliers like ERPRO to show up on more spec sheets.