Control apparatus for automobiles

A control apparatus for a vehicle by an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an engine control unit for controlling operation of said internal combustion engine, including at least one of ignition control and fuel injection control, in accordance with a stored program and based upon at least one engine control parameter;
• an information input device through which information may be input by an operator of the vehicle;
• and
• a system manager, including a processing unit and a memory, coupled to said engine control unit and said information input device for supplying to said engine control unit an engine control parameter inputted through said information input device by an operator, so as to control at least one of ignition timing and fuel injection in said internal combustion engine in accordance with a characteristic based on said engine control parameter selected by the operator.

A control apparatus for a vehicle having an automatic transmission, comprising:

• an automatic transmission control unit for controlling said automatic transmission to shift through plural gear ratios at plural shift points in vehicle speed according to at least one shift point parameter;
• an information input device through which information may be input by an operator of the vehicle;
• and
• a system manager, including a processing unit and a memory, coupled to said automated transmission control unit and said information input device, for supplying to said automatic transmission control unit a shift point parameter inputted through said information input device by an operator, so as to selectively establish an automatic transmission operating characteristic in accordance with the shift point parameter selected by the operator.

A control apparatus for a vehicle having a power steering system for generating in the steering of the vehicle, comprising:

• a power steering control unit for controlling said power steering system in accordance with a characteristic based on a steering constant;
• an information input device through which information may be input ba an operator of the vehicle;
• and
• a system manager, including a processing unit and a memory, coupled to said power steering control unit and said information input device, for supplying to said power steering control unit a steering constant input by an operator of the vehicle through said information input device, so as to selectively establish the characteristic of said power steering system in accordance with the steering constant selected by the operator.