An apparatus for controlling an automotive vehicle including an engine with an intake valve and / or an exhaust valve having a variable operating characteristic, a transmission having a plurality of operating positions that are selectively established, and a manually operable vehicle accelerating member, the apparatus including a target-drive-force setting portion operable to determine a target vehicle drive force on the basis of an operating amount of the accelerating member and a presently selected one of the operating positions of the transmission, such that the determined target vehicle drive force permits a smooth change of an actual vehicle drive force with a change of the operating amount of the vehicle accelerating member, irrespective of a shifting action of the transmission, and a drive-power-source-torque control portion (104) operable to control a torque of the engine, by controlling at least one of a lift amount, an operating period of an opening and closing action and an operating timing of the intake valve (74) and / or the exhaust valve (75), so that the actual vehicle drive force coincides with the target vehicle drive force after the shifting action of the transmission.