Two jewels of French ingenuity are joining forces. Lacoste and Alpine are unveiling a major collaboration blending technical fashion, automotive design and the spirit of competition, embodied by a dynamic duo: Pierre Niney and Pierre Gasly.
René Lacoste and the founder of Alpine Jean Rédélé shared the same obsession: pushing the boundaries by combining performance, lightness and elegance. It is this shared legacy that comes to life today through a capsule collection and a spectacular automotive creation. Unveiled with great fanfare at the Musée des Archives nationales in Paris, this collaboration celebrates French expertise by bridging the worlds of sports fashion and high-performance engineering.
A unique rally car with a reptilian look
Taking centre stage at this event is the Alpine Lacoste A290 Rallye – Beware of the Crocodile. This bluish-white electric concept car evokes the Alpine peaks whilst reinterpreting the codes of rallying. Its originality lies in the cabin, entirely inspired by the famous red tongue of the Lacoste logo. This vibrant red adorns the car’s interior, where numerous graphic references serve as a reminder that the crocodile is ready to chase the clock.
To launch the campaign, a short film entitled ‘Le Test’ was produced by Ninety Films, the company run by director and actor Pierre Niney. As an ambassador for the brand with the crocodile logo, he stars alongside another Pierre: Gasly, the official driver for the Normandy-based brand. This friendly and humorous encounter shows the two men making the most of this extraordinary car.
A collection combining style and aerodynamics
True to the design principle that form follows function, the clothing range blends the visual identities of the two brands. It features signature polo shirts with bold graphics, T-shirts, and lightweight, versatile technical pieces. A high-end wardrobe designed to move fluidly with the wearer, whether on a tennis court or at the side of a race track.
The Alpine A290, on which the Lacoste collaboration is based, is fitted with an electric motor delivering 180 or 220 chevaux, propelling the city car from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds in its most powerful version. Its 52 kWh battery offers a range of up to 380 km (WLTP) and can be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes using a 100 kW fast-charging system. To ensure the agility the brand is known for, the engineers in Dieppe have revamped the chassis with wider track widths, hydraulic stop-limit suspension and Brembo brakes inherited from the A110. Finally, the driving experience is enhanced in the cockpit thanks to on-board telemetry and a sports steering wheel featuring the red ‘Overtake’ button, which delivers an instant power boost.
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Featured image: © Lacoste
