In brief
- Official presentation of the unprecedented Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye at the prestigious Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille concours on 13 September 2026.
- An exclusive collaboration materialised by 290 references to the historic crocodile integrated into the heart of the exterior and interior design.
- A major celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the Alpine brand, bringing together historic models and cars from passionate clubs.
On 13 September 2026, the unprecedented Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye will make its official debut at the prestigious Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille concours, immediately establishing itself as the centrepiece of a first-rate automotive line-up. This unique model, officially named “Beware of the Crocodile · Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye”, embodies the aesthetic and technical encounter between two iconic French maisons united by the values of performance, audacity and innovation. For its first public appearance, this flagship of contemporary sportiness will parade before the eyes of the most demanding collectors and connoisseurs of fine coachbuilding on the international scene. This major event on the global automotive calendar offers the perfect setting to unveil such synergy, where timeless elegance meets the passion for speed. The historic lawns of the Chantilly estate will thus see the world of haute couture and cutting-edge engineering unite, illustrating how high-end automobiles remain a privileged medium of artistic and cultural expression for the flagships of French industry.
A summit meeting of the French art de vivre
This exceptional collaboration goes beyond the traditional boundaries of a simple partnership to offer a genuine reflection on the French art de vivre. By combining the world of clay courts and tennis with that of asphalt and racing tracks, the two maisons celebrate a shared philosophy focused on self-surpassing, movement and style. This unique project demonstrates the capacity of French industry to reinvent its own codes by marrying incredibly rich heritages, where sport becomes a field of absolute aesthetic expression.
Every detail of this singular vehicle has been designed to reflect the spirit of freedom and casual elegance that characterises the Lacoste silhouette, while respecting the demand for dynamism and pure sportiness that has defined Alpine’s identity since its origins. It is a vibrant tribute to the aesthetics of sport in all its forms, whether practiced with a racket on a historic tennis court or at the wheel of a racing car on a winding rally road.
An exclusive encounter between fashion and automotive design
The aesthetics of this unique creation find their source in the most subtle details of Lacoste’s identity. The bright red of the famous reptile’s tongue serves as a visual common thread, applied with surgical precision to both the bodywork and the cabin. This unique creation merges Alpine’s sports engineering and Lacoste’s timeless elegance to give birth to a true work of art in motion, where the rigorous codes of motor racing fade away to embrace a certain art de vivre.
The exterior bodywork is adorned with an exclusive finish whose shades catch the light in a singular way, highlighting the muscular and compact lines of the hot hatch. The contrasting touches of red bring a welcome visual tension, recalling the technical details usually found on high-performance sportswear or factory racing cars. This meticulous attention to colours and materials transforms the car’s silhouette into an assertive style statement, blurring the lines between the automobile and luxury ready-to-wear.
The technical and aesthetic alliance of electric performance
The energy transition represents a stimulating challenge for Alpine’s designers and engineers. The adoption of an electric powertrain allows for a complete rethink of the vehicle’s overall architecture, offering new opportunities in terms of aerodynamics, interior layout and weight distribution. This technical shift is accompanied by a major stylistic evolution, where the silent operation of electric propulsion harmonises beautifully with the aesthetic purity sought by the designers of the crocodile brand.
The harmonious integration of electric components beneath an athletic silhouette proves that tomorrow’s performance implies no compromise on elegance. On the contrary, it opens the way to a new form of automotive expression where the most advanced technology serves a clean, fluid and intensely modern design, capable of seducing a new generation of fine mechanics and contemporary fashion enthusiasts.
Technical performance under the sign of audacity
Developed on the basis of the most radical and performance-oriented version of the range, this model asserts its dynamic credentials. The car benefits from wider tracks, a significantly reinforced braking system and a specific calibration of the electric powertrain. The electric motor benefits from optimised powertrain management for immediate responsiveness, projecting historic driving pleasure into the era of decarbonisation.
The widening of the front and rear tracks gives the car an impressive stance, optimising dynamic behaviour during fast cornering and ensuring maximum stability on the road. The braking system, resized to meet the demands of sporty driving, ensures sharp and consistent deceleration, offering the driver absolute confidence. This technical rigour is complemented by bespoke electronic power management, allowing the instant torque of the electric motor to be delivered in a progressive and controllable manner, faithful to the agile handling sensations that forged the brand’s reputation on mountain roads.
An immersive cabin dressed in petit piqué
The choice of materials inside the cabin plays a major role in creating a unique atmosphere. By replacing traditional trims with the famous petit piqué fabric, the designers have succeeded in transposing the tactile world of fashion directly into the automotive world. This structured textile, renowned for its lightness and robustness on tennis courts, brings an unprecedented sense of comfort and a highly refined visual appearance, redefining the standards of luxury aboard a sports vehicle.
The use of this iconic material on the seats, door panels and certain elements of the dashboard creates a direct physical link between the driver and Lacoste’s stylistic heritage. Every touchpoint recalls the functional elegance of René Lacoste’s creations, offering a travel experience that is cosy, ergonomic and resolutely focused on the well-being of the occupants, while preserving the cockpit spirit essential to a rally car.
An immersive cabin inspired by the Lacoste wardrobe
Inside, the experience is designed to be highly sensory and immersive. Lacoste’s famous petit piqué textile covers the surfaces, offering an incomparable texture and a cosy atmosphere directly inspired by tennis courts and historic paddocks. The interior integrates precisely 290 details echoing the ready-to-wear brand’s iconic crocodile, scattered with infinite discretion throughout the cabin to delight aesthetes sensitive to high-quality details.
These multiple graphic nods to the crocodile are nestled in the most subtle corners of the cabin, from the seat stitching to the engraved patterns on the controls and the custom digital displays on the central screen. This quest for the perfect detail transforms every journey into a visual exploration, highlighting the exclusive and ultra-personalised character of this unique model. It is a true artistic signature that bears witness to the mutual respect between the design teams of the two French maisons, united by a taste for fine craftsmanship and artisanal precision.
Seventy years of passion celebrated in Chantilly
Beyond the presentation of this unprecedented stylistic alliance, the Chantilly event will celebrate a major historical milestone for the Dieppe firm. The manufacturer will present a rigorous selection of historic models tracing no less than 70 years of passion and technical innovation. The Dieppe brand retraces seven decades of innovation through a selection of historic models, bringing together the past, present and future of French sports cars.
Since its foundation in the mid-1950s by Jean Rédélé, the brand has established itself as an essential benchmark in competition and lightweight sports cars. Visitors to the concours d’elegance will be able to admire legendary models that have marked the history of world rallying and endurance, illustrating the continuity of a technical philosophy focused on agility, clever design and driving pleasure. This retrospective exhibition will highlight the journey from the legendary historic Berlinette to the new generation of high-performance electric vehicles.
Chantilly, the ideal setting for French industrial and stylistic excellence
Over the years, the Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille concours has established itself as one of the most prestigious events on the international automotive scene, reviving the great tradition of the concours d’elegance of the 1920s. Organised in the majestic setting of the Château de Chantilly estate, this event brings together the best of historic and contemporary automotive creation. It is the perfect place to celebrate exceptional creative partnerships that showcase France’s industrial and stylistic expertise.
In this prestigious setting, the presentation of unique models resulting from transdisciplinary collaborations makes perfect sense. The audience of enlightened enthusiasts, international collectors and design specialists particularly appreciates this search for the perfect harmony between form and function, between tradition and modernity. Exhibiting this unique car alongside the world’s most beautiful coachwork confirms the unique place these two brands hold in French cultural and industrial heritage.
Technical specifications and key features
- Model: Beware of the Crocodile · Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye
- Technical base: Alpine A290 Rallye (high-performance electric platform)
- Style elements: Exclusive body colour, contrasting crocodile-red details, Lacoste petit piqué upholstery
- Distinctive features: 290 graphic nods to the crocodile integrated into the design
- Chassis: Wider tracks, reinforced braking and specific engine management
- Presentation: Sunday 13 September 2026 at the Chantilly Concours d’Élégance
The alliance of Dieppe’s heritage and the spirit of Troyes
This exceptional collaboration highlights a true geographical and cultural synergy at the heart of France. On one side, the car manufacturer draws its strength and inspiration from its historic birthplace of Dieppe, in Normandy, where the teams perpetuate unique expertise in lightweight chassis design and high-precision assembly of sports cars. On the other, the fashion house has for decades promoted an art of textile and tailoring that finds its historical origins in Troyes, the historic capital of French knitwear, and Paris, the nerve centre of world fashion.
This exceptional collaboration marries haute couture and cutting-edge engineering to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Alpine brand. This unique model, featuring bright red details on its bodywork, will make its official debut on 13 September 2026.
