Alpine teams up with Lacoste for custom A290 Rallye

Alpine has partnered up with clothing brand Lacoste for a bespoke version of the A290 Rallye.

The two French firms have called their creation ‘Beware of the Crocodile’, which references Lacoste’s logo. On the outside, it features a widened rtrack, large wings, roof intake and exposed carbon elements to highlight the car’s sporting nature.

The white colour of the one-off car is designed to mimic the white of the crocodile’s teeth, though the inside brings a red shade ‘as if the driver were literally stepping into the crocodile’s mouth’, according to the brand. In fact, Lacoste says that there are 290 crocodiles integrated into the car’s overall design.

Lacoste’s fabric is used on the seats with a joint logo shared with Alpine applied there too. Some interior elements are anodised and red, while the rally seats use 3D printing to help save weight.

Eric Vallat, CEO of Lacoste, said: “Lacoste and Alpine share the same culture of innovation, driven since their origins by pioneers convinced that performance is born as much from ingenuity as from mastery of detail.

“ By bringing together our heritage, expertise and creative standards, we have imagined a project that celebrates French ingenuity through a shared vision of performance and elegance.”

The standard A290 Rallye is a rally-ready version of the electric A290 that has been made for customer competition. All versions get a welded roll cage, while an upgraded limited-slip differential helps the A290 to corner more effectively. The braking system is also ugpraded with six-piston monoblock calipers and 350mm discs.

At present, there are no plans to put Alpine and Lacoste’s creation into production.