Patent ID: 7475746

Claim:
A performance control system for a vehicle, said performance control system adapted to regulate the performance of an engine in the vehicle to ensure that at least one speed parameter, selected from engine speed and vehicle speed, does not exceed a maximum allowed value for that speed parameter, the vehicle comprising an accelerator and the engine, wherein the engine comprises an intake pipe and a throttle valve mounted within the intake pipe, said performance control system comprising: an accelerator position sensor for detecting a position of the accelerator; an electronically controlled throttle adjuster for adjusting an opening of the throttle valve, wherein the throttle adjuster is capable of setting the throttle valve at an applied opening; and a controller for controlling operation of the throttle adjuster to vary the applied opening based on an output from the accelerator position sensor, wherein the system is configured such that during vehicle operation, when the selected speed parameter reaches its maximum allowed value, the throttle valve opening is automatically reduced to a level at or below an applied opening thereof that immediately preceded the reaching of said maximum allowed value, based on the sensed position of the accelerator.