SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENGINE TORQUE

An engine control system for a vehicle includes a power request determination module, a desired speed determination module, and a torque control module. The power request determination module determines a power request for an engine based on a request from a driver of the vehicle and a speed of the vehicle. The desired speed determination module determines a desired speed of the engine based on a speed of a turbine in a torque converter of the engine, a state of a clutch in the torque converter, and one of the power request, a first amount of clutch slip, and a second amount of clutch slip. The torque control module determines a desired engine torque based on the desired engine speed and the power request and controls torque output of the engine based on the desired engine torque.