We never thought France was extraordinarily fond of the Jeep, but Chrysler has seen fit to bring two Jeep concepts - the Patriot Back Country and the Compass Overland - to the 2008 Paris motor show.

Granted, as both consist mostly of trim and equipment modifications, they’re more akin to SEMA vehicles, not the typical one-off concept cars usually found at international auto shows.  That said, Jeep hopes both crossovers will call attention to their interiors, which are freshly revamped for 2009.

Of the pair, the Patriot Back Country appears most modified.  Jeep says it’s supposed to “exude a fresh, youthful appeal,” primarily by way of its vibrant green hue.  A similar color is found inside, notably on the seat inserts, which also have a tire-tread pattern.  If two-toned leather isn’t “active” enough for you, the Back Country also has mudflaps and a custom roof rack sourced from the Mopar catalog.
Jeep Compass Overland

Though Jeep says the Compass Overland is merely a prototype, we’re fairly certain it’ll see production.  Like the Overland-badged Grand Cherokee currently available in the States, the Compass Overland is little more than a nicely-trimmed Compass.  Apart from the green paint, Jeep has thrown in embroidered leather seats, and chrome accents on the grille, door sills, and side rub rails.

We’ve liked the AEV Brute conversions ever since we saw the kit at SEMA in ‘06. But since then, the only Brutes we ever see are built up by companies to be used as calling cards. We’ve not seen many personal Brute builds. It’s a Jeep truck; use it like a truck, or like a Jeep, or both-don’t use it like a billboard.

Well, it turns out that Adam Shoemaker of Fenton, Michigan, saw the Brute conversion kit at the same show we did. He ordered a kit, but it wasn’t until just nine days before he was due to go to Moab, Utah, for Easter Jeep Safari that the build got started.

For our part, we are happy to see a Brute that is used on-road, off-road, and as a truck occasionally, too.

Chassis And Driveline
By the time you read this, the 4.0 I-6 that we saw in the truck with the JBL header and Flowmaster muffler will likely have been evicted. Adam told us that he actually had a Hemi bolted in, but just didn’t have the time to make it run before heading to Utah. As we were talking to him, though, he was considering ditching the Hemi idea, and going with something in the diesel category. Either way, where Adam lives in Michigan there aren’t any emissions tests, so he’s in the clear.

An NSG370 and 241OR from an ‘05 Rubicon were swapped in using an Advance Adapters CPS relocation kit to move the crank sensor to the front of the motor and trick the fuel injection into running. Power is transferred out to the axles through custom driveshafts using only 1350-series parts made by Joint Clutch.

The front Dana 60 axle came from a ‘97 Ford F-350 and was stuffed with Solid axleshafts, 5.13 gears, and an ARB Air Locker. The rear Teraflex CRD-60 was likewise filled with 5.13s and an ARB. Front and rear brakes are Solid Axle conversion parts while an ‘00 Dodge master cylinder provides the front and rear discs with fluid.

The stock TJ coil and shock arrangement was tossed in favor of FOA coilover shocks all around, used with a modified Teraflex long arm lift kit and a Daystar 1-inch body lift to clear the 39-inch Pit Bull Rocker tires mounted on Walker Evans rims.

A full hydro PSC steering system shoves those tires anywhere Adam wants. Adam tells us it took a little bit to get used to the full hydro setup, but he is glad he went with it.

A Currie Enterprises front stubby bumper houses a Warn 9000i winch while the AEV tubular rear bumper was modified so the underbed-mounted Warn M8000 could be used when rear pulls were needed.

Of course, to make a TJ into a Brute, you’ve got to cut the frame in half, a