An engine output control method for a vehicle having a drive by wire engine system responsive to a desired engine torque signal. The method comprises the steps of generating a driver demanded acceleration value corresponding to an accelerator pedal position input, and generating a gear value as a function of a vehicle speed value and the driver demanded acceleration value. The method also derives a driveline torque demand comprising an inertial model torque value of the vehicle driveline corresponding to the driver demanded acceleration and the gear value, and a dynamic transmission model torque value for the gear value. The resulting torque demand is then passed through an inverse torque converter model to generate a demanded engine torque. The resulting demanded engine torque value is then used to control the engine output. In this way, the present method accounts for the transmission and driveline dynamics in an acceleration-based engine control scheme.