Vehicle Control Apparatus, Vehicle Control Method, and Adaptive Cruise Control System

A lead vehicle () in an adaptive cruise control system that non-mechanically connects a following vehicle () to the lead vehicle () sequentially and that causes the following vehicle () to follow its immediately preceding vehicle calculates vehicle velocity limit (V) for limiting a velocity of the lead vehicle () based on maximum allowable vehicle velocity (V) of the following vehicle (), maximum allowable vehicle velocity (V) satisfying a turning performance of the following vehicle (), and controls a brake apparatus and a drive apparatus such that the velocity of the lead vehicle () will not exceed vehicle velocity limit (V).