AEV turns Wrangler into Brute Double Cab for SEMA

[Jimmyb]

Jeep pickup trucks are griffins. Amalgamated kings of all automotive beasts that combine the friendly puppy vibe of a Wrangler with the utility of a cargo box. Ten years ago, American Expedition Vehicles gave the public the original TJ-based Brute at that year's SEMA show, and now the company is reprising that performance and introducing the Brute Double Cab.

Based on the latest JK Wrangler Unlimited, the Brute Double Cab offers more interior space thanks to the extra doors and the larger overall dimensions of the JK-series Wrangler. AEV stretches the frame to a 139-inch wheelbase, and the Brute Double Cab has an overall length of 216 inches – 30 inches more than a regular JK Unlimited. The bed is nearly square, with dimensions of 61 inches long by 60 inches wide (and 44 inches between the wheelhouses), but it's not intended to make a pickup truck replacement out of a Jeep.

AEV thinks the Brute Double Cab is an off-roader with better chops than a 4x4 pickup, and enhanced cargo capacity over what you can get from stock Jeeps. Unlike the JK-8 Independence kit you can buy from Mopar, the Brute Double Cab isn't something you assemble yourself – AEV puts more into its four-door Brute Double Cab than it takes to build the two-door JK-8 kit. The stretched-chassis AEV Brute Double Cab will be available first to current AEV owners as a turn-key vehicle. Once production ramps up, availability will be opened to the public at large.




OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
AEV DEBUTS ALL NEW 4-DOOR BRUTE DOUBLE CAB AT SEMA

American Expedition Vehicles (AEV) will debut the brand new four-door 2012 AEV Brute Double Cab at this year's SEMA Show, nearly a decade after first introducing its Jeep based Brute pickup truck. AEV's original Brute was unveiled at SEMA in 2002 as a Jeep pickup conversion that offered superb styling, rugged utility, and the high quality always associated with AEV. Now AEV will once again use SEMA to introduce the popular Brute's newest incarnation, the Brute Double Cab, a four-door overland vehicle utilizing the newest JK Wrangler to deliver a powerful, unique off-road machine worthy of the Brute moniker.

"When we originally created the Brute, it appealed to off road enthusiasts looking for something different," says AEV Founder and President Dave Harriton. "Now with the debut of the Brute Double Cab, we're expanding the Brute series to a four-door platform that has everything people have come to expect from an AEV Brute, but with more interior room and the improved capabilities of the JK platform." Harriton continues, "The Brute Double Cab shares its DNA with the original Brute, but also draws inspiration from the Land Rover Defender 130, and was designed specifically for the expanding overland travel market. With seating for five and the storage provided by the fold flat rear seats, it makes for an ideal camping platform, whether it be a couple weeks through the Atacama desert or just a weekend trip with the family."

The original AEV Brute won the hearts of auto enthusiasts of all kinds and also won a Daimler-Chrysler Designer Excellence Award. The all-new Brute Double Cab will follow the same truck-conversion design principle as its predecessor. AEV starts with a four-door JK Wrangler and stretches the chassis 23 inches for a final wheelbase of 139 inches. The overall vehicle length stands at 216 inches, a total increase of 30 inches, with a small frame extension at the rear to accommodate the pickup bed. The interior dimensions of the Brute Double Cab's truck bed are 61"L x 60"W (44 inches between the wheel houses), offering plenty of haul space in a highly capable off-roader.

Harriton is quick to point out that the Brute Double Cab is not meant to be an alternative to a traditional pickup, but is uniquely positioned to serve the overland market with more off road capability than a four-door truck and more cargo room and carrying capacity than a Jeep.

AEV will offer the Brute Double Cab as a turn-key vehicle built in its Wixom, MI facility, and expects a production release by mid-2012. The opportunity for the first orders will be given exclusively to current owners of AEV vehicles and to AEV's authorized dealers, with orders opening to the public as production ramps up. For more information, please call 248-926-0256.

[Barefoot]

sweet as

[Jimmyb]

SEMA UPDATE:

American Expedition Vehicles has broadened its Jeep Wrangler pickup conversion offerings with the new Brute Double Cab. Offered as a turn-key conversion, the vehicle features a combination of stamped-steel and composite body panels for an OEM-level fit and finish. Using a combination of structural adhesive and welding, AEV says it has managed to reduce noise and vibration in the cabin and ensure the longevity of the build. While the original AEV Brute bore a stamped-steel bed, the company has switched to a new composite design that is both lighter and more durable than its predecessor.

Using carbon fiber outer skins, beefy reinforced fiberglass innards and a foam core, the company says that the new kit weighs in at around 200 pounds. That's nearly 200 pounds lighter than the old one.

AEV is currently running a cost analysis to determine how much the conversion will set you back. The Brute Double Cab on display at SEMA 2011 also benefited from the company's 6.4-liter V8 Hemi conversion, complete with a special stamped-steel hood. In addition, Dynatrac served up a special set of axles for the build, including a heavy-duty Dana 44 up front and a Dana 60 rear. Sounds good to us.

[bruggz351]

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