Lacoste and Alpine have revealed a one-off rally car, the Beware of the Crocodile – Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye, as the centrepiece of a new collaboration that also includes a capsule clothing collection.
Based on the all-electric Alpine A290 Rallye hot hatchback, the one-off reinterprets classic rally car aesthetics through the fashion-led prism of Lacoste. One of the most recognisable elements of the fashion brand’s logo – the red-tongued crocodile – is central to the car’s design.
The wide-body A290 Rallye wears a striking blue-white finish inspired by Alpine landscapes. Aggressive aerodynamic surfaces – including a prominent rear spoiler, cavernous diffuser and pronounced wings – help create the rally car styling. Another neat touch is the headlight signatures, which are reworked as a nod to the gaze of a crocodile.
The interior is finished exclusively in red to symbolise the inside of the Lacoste crocodile’s mouth. The bucket seats and door panels are upholstered in the same petit piqué fabric used for Lacoste polo shirts, with embroidery from the workshop that produces the firm’s crocodile motifs.
The cabin’s structural elements receive a red anodised finish, while the rally seats use 3D-printed lattice components to save weight. One of the most eye-catching features is the crocodile moulded into the rear parcel shelf, its mouth looming above the spoiler that protrudes below the rear window.
Mechanically, the one-off appears to be identical to a standard A290 Rallye. Developed for customer racing as the most extreme A290, it’s equipped with a single front-mounted electric motor that delivers 220bhp and 221lb ft of torque to the front wheels via a ZF limited-slip differential. Power is drawn from a 52kWh battery pack and the car weighs in at 1530kg. Complementing the powertrain is ALP Racing suspension, six-piston front brakes and a hydraulic handbrake.
The one-of-a-kind A290 is complemented by a capsule clothing collection inspired by both tennis and motorsport. The collection spans polo shirts, T-shirts, lightweight technical wear and accessories. A film called Le Test – Beware of the Crocodile has also been released as part of the collaboration, which you can view below.
‘The Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye embodies the meeting of two French brands that share the same taste for movement, precision and boldness,’ said Alpine design director Antony Villain. ‘In the spirit of Jean Rédélé and René Lacoste, two passionate individuals who became references in their fields, Alpine and Lacoste celebrate a form of performance that goes beyond speed.’
