Lacoste and Alpine made a crocodile-covered electric hot hatch, and it rules
Two French icons just made the coolest little EV of the year
Two French icons have teamed up for something brilliant. Lacoste and Alpine have revealed a one-off A290 Rallye called Beware of the Crocodile, a rally-styled electric hot hatch hiding 290 crocodiles in its cabin and dressed head to toe in Lacoste's signature style. It looks absolutely fantastic, and it is exactly the kind of playful, design-led project we love.
Crocodiles everywhere
The detailing is where this car comes alive. The exterior wears a bluish-white shade inspired by an Alpine mountain landscape, with textured particles in the paint, while the cabin is an immersive monochrome red world hiding 290 crocodiles woven through the design. The seats and door panels use Lacoste's iconic petit pique fabric with embroidered details, and even the light signatures have been reimagined to echo a crocodile's gaze. It is witty without tipping into gimmick, which is hard to pull off.
A proper rally look
This is not just a fashion wrap on a standard car. The A290 Rallye is based on the most extreme version of Alpine's electric hot hatch, and it looks the part: widened tracks, defined wheels, prominent wings, a carbon diffuser, a roof intake and a spoiler. Underneath, the chassis is optimised for rally rigidity and precision, with dedicated electronic settings, a reinforced braking system and lightweight 3D-printed parts. The electric powertrain delivers the instant response that suits a car like this perfectly.
More than a car
The A290 Rallye is a one-of-a-kind build, launched alongside a Lacoste capsule collection of polo shirts, T-shirts and accessories, and a short film called The Test starring actor Pierre Niney and Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly, both Lacoste ambassadors. Lacoste CEO Eric Vallat framed the partnership neatly, saying the two brands share "the same culture of innovation, driven since their origins by pioneers."
AutoNext Take
We will just say it: this looks mega. Fashion-brand car collaborations are usually skin-deep, but pairing Lacoste with the A290, a car that is already cheeky and full of character, makes total sense, and the execution is gorgeous. The 290 hidden crocodiles, the petit pique seats, the rally addenda, it all hangs together because both brands genuinely share a playful, French sensibility. It is a shame it is a one-off, because we suspect Alpine could sell plenty of croc-trimmed A290s. More of this kind of joyful, design-driven madness, please.
Alpine is having a moment: see the electric next-generation A110 at Goodwood. For more French playfulness, Citroen recently renamed itself Sytroen.
