Lacoste and Alpine unveil a collaboration inspired by French ingenuity, bringing together two iconic brands born from the same ambition: to push the boundaries of their respective disciplines by combining performance, elegance and lightness.

Driven by the visionary heritage of René Lacoste and Jean Rédélé, this collaboration gives rise to two exclusive creations: Beware of the Crocodile - Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye and a capsule collection. Two complementary expressions of a shared vision of sport, where innovation inspire movement, emotion and style.

The collaboration also comes to life through The Test, a film produced by Ninety Films, cofounded by Pierre Niney, Lacoste ambassador, and featuring him alongside Pierre Gasly, BWT Alpine Formula One Team driver and Lacoste ambassador. Playing themselves, the two personalities bring to life a spirited and unexpected encounter around the one-off Beware of the Crocodile - Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye. Combining humour, control and a sense of play, the film extends the story of this collaboration and offers a distinctive expression of the alliance between performance and elegance that unites the two French icons.

 

 

The result of a creative dialogue between the design and engineering teams of the two Houses, the one-off model is based on a deliberately radical technical foundation: the Alpine A290 Rallye. This choice reflects a clear desire to move beyond a simple styling exercise and create a true automotive object, directly derived from sport.

As the most extreme and most performance-focused version of the A290, the A290 Rallye provides the ideal platform to express an uncompromising vision of sportiness. Designed for customer racing, it embodies Alpine’s commitment to electric motorsport and represents a new generation of performance: more compact, agile and accessible.

A MEETING BETWEEN TWO FRENCH PIONEERS
Passionate competitors and inventors at heart, René Lacoste and Jean Rédélé each transformed their discipline through a distinctive approach combining technical excellence, creativity and a constant pursuit of lightness.

The two French brands were born from a shared vision: to push the limits of performance while cultivating functional elegance and the constant pursuit of lightness. On the courts and on the circuits, they have built their identity around the same balance of innovation, precision and desirability.

Today, their legacies come together through a spectacular creation: the Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye, accompanied by a collection that translates this spirit into the wardrobe.

 

BEWARE OF THE CROCODILE - ALPINE LACOSTE A290 RALLYE
At the heart of the collaboration is a one-off model, born from a creative dialogue between the design teams of the two Houses.

Named Beware of the Crocodile - Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye, this one-off car draws inspiration from one of the most iconic elements of Lacoste’s identity: the red of the crocodile’s tongue. This iconic detail becomes the starting point for an immersive concept that runs throughout the entire vehicle.

On the outside, the one-off model reinterprets the codes of rally cars with a more contemporary and graphic language. Widened tracks, strongly defined wheels, prominent wings, a spectacular diffuser, roof air intake, imposing spoiler and exposed carbon express radical sportiness, reduced to its essentials.

This architecture is based on technical fundamentals derived from competition: a chassis optimised for rigidity and precision, specific suspension developed for rally use, widened tracks that promote stability and grip, and functional aerodynamic work designed to improve cooling and downforce at high speed.

 

Designed for performance, the A290 Rallye stands out with specific management of its electric powertrain, delivering immediate response and strong acceleration from the very first input — a key advantage in rallying.

It also benefits from dedicated electronic settings that help maintain a consistent level of performance, even in demanding conditions.

The package is completed by a reinforced braking system and a setup focused on driving precision, delivering reliable, efficient and easy-to-exploit handling on all types of terrain.

Conceived as a car shaped in a workshop by motorsport enthusiasts, it returns to the very essence of driving pleasure. A genuine rally car, reimagined through Lacoste’s stylistic lens.

The light signatures are revisited as a nod to the crocodile’s gaze, while numerous graphic details scattered across the bodywork reflect the joint work of Lacoste and Alpine’s creative teams.

The exterior shade, a bluish white inspired by Alpine landscapes, evokes snow, ice and frost. Its particles create a subtle texture that reinforces the vehicle’s technical and mineral expression.

 

IMMERSION INTO THE WORLD OF LACOSTE
Inside, the experience shifts into an immersive monochrome red world as if the driver were literally stepping into the crocodile’s mouth.

This intense colour stimulates the senses, awakens instinct and accompanies the driver in the pursuit of performance. At the rear of the cabin, a crocodile lying in wait appears to chase the clock, while the driver becomes a true “Crocopilot” in search of the perfect line.

Lacoste’s emblematic petit piqué fabric dresses the seats and door panels. The embroidery is produced by Potencier, the historic workshop that notably makes Lacoste’s famous embroidered crocodiles for its polo shirts. A joint Alpine x Lacoste logo, treated like a bas-relief, punctuates the whole.

The cabin plays on contrasts between technical surfaces and more enveloping materials. Structural elements receive a red anodised treatment, while the rally seats incorporate parts produced using 3D printing by ERPRO. This technology makes it possible to use lattice-type structures combining lightness, comfort and performance, fully in line with one of the founding convictions of both brands: achieving performance through intelligent design.

This approach is part of a broader effort to reduce weight and optimise function essential in the world of rallying, where every kilogram and every vehicle response has a direct impact on performance.

Finally, multiple discreet references to the crocodile are scattered throughout the vehicle, extending the playful and inventive spirit that characterises this collaboration. The vehicle notably features 290 crocodiles integrated into its overall design.

 

A COLLECTION INSPIRED BY COURTS AND CIRCUITS
Echoing this vehicle, Lacoste and Alpine unveil a capsule collection that brings together the worlds of the court and the circuit.

Polo shirts, T-shirts, lightweight technical pieces, accessories and co-branded creations combine sporting elegance, functionality and technical savoir-faire. Designed to accompany movement, the collection translates into the wardrobe the values shared by the two Houses: performance, lightness, precision and style.

Through this collaboration, Lacoste and Alpine celebrate a certain idea of French design, where innovation always serves a purpose, where performance is placed at the service of emotion, and where elegance accompanies movement.