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French brands Lacoste and Alpine collaborate for Beware of the Crocodile Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye, a one-off electric competition car that pairs Alpine’s customer racing platform with Lacoste’s visual identity and material language. By choosing the A290 Rallye as its foundation, the project begins with a purpose-built motorsport machine, making design an integral part of the vehicle.
Lacoste engages directly with Alpine’s most performance-focused version of the A290, using competition engineering as the framework for a shared design exercise. The design and engineering teams of both companies come together for this one-off to retain the technical architecture of the A290 Rallye. Widened tracks, dedicated rally suspension, exposed carbon fiber, an oversized rear spoiler, roof air intake, and aerodynamic bodywork reflect the competition origins of the car, while the electric powertrain is calibrated specifically for rally use.
Lacoste’s contribution begins with one of the brand’s smallest but most recognizable graphic elements: the red tongue of its crocodile logo. That detail becomes the central design motif of the project, extending across the entire vehicle. The bluish white exterior, inspired by Alpine’s snowy landscapes, is punctuated by vivid red accents, while the front lighting subtly recalls the gaze of the crocodile. Closer inspection reveals dozens of discreet graphic references embedded throughout the bodywork, turning the car into a playful exercise in visual storytelling.
all images © Marcin KEMPSK, unless stated otherwise
the crocodile becomes a design language
The interior shifts even further into Lacoste’s universe. Finished almost entirely in red, the cockpit imagines the driver stepping inside the crocodile. Lacoste’s signature petit piqué fabric covers the seats and door panels, while embroidery is produced by Potencier, the historic workshop behind the crocodiles stitched onto the brand’s polo shirts. A co-developed Alpine x Lacoste emblem appears throughout the cabin as a sculpted bas-relief, reinforcing the collaboration without relying on oversized logos.
Structural elements receive a red anodized finish, while parts of the rally seats are manufactured using 3D printed lattice structures developed by ERPRO. The lightweight components improve comfort and reduce weight, reflecting a principle both brands have championed throughout their histories: performance achieved through intelligent design.
The project arrives at a moment when Alpine is redefining itself around electric performance. As the brand expands beyond the A110 into a new generation of battery-powered sports cars, the A290 Rallye demonstrates that electrification is becoming part of its motorsport strategy as well.
Alongside the one-off vehicle, Lacoste and Alpine introduce a capsule collection of apparel and accessories inspired by the tennis court and the rally stage, accompanied by The Test, a short film starring Pierre Niney and Pierre Gasly.
the electric rally car adopts a bluish white finish with red graphic accents
the rear hatch reveals one of the collaboration’s many hidden crocodile details
three crocodiles emerge beneath the rear window
Pierre Niney and Pierre Gasly’s names appear on the rally side window