The Merc Verados have a great sync system when ordered with the electronic throttles. But the throttles on all of the electronically controlled engines (not just Merc) have had some issues, not sure I would want to trust them to run big power yet. I met a guy at the boat show last year that had the Volvo set up and actually kept a spare throttle assembly on the boat because he had several failures. And a couple of years ago we had a sportfish here in Annapolis crush a Fountain fish boat against a dock because the electronic shifters on the SF failed at a very bad time.

I believe Merc already has a drive by wire system on some of the I/O packages. I think some of the 6.2 L engines have it. Not sure if any others do.
Eddie

This is what I think will happen......

There will be someone (NorTech, MTI, Skater???) who decides that leading and being innovative trumps playing it safe and will go for an all digital throttle system. And they'll do it smart by hiring it out to some leading edge company and not do it like (with all due respect) Merc or Volvo who did the engineering in-house. They'll then prove it out on the race course where driver(s) will praise the ease of the system. The net result will be increased market share due to the company being out front leading and saying "Innovation - that's how we roll".

BTW - it's cool reading the various responses and perspectives. I really like this forum. How long before I start getting flamed, called names and other such signs of affection?? LOL....

Tom

Yes. DTS. You can get it on 496's as well. Buddy has a 2008 350SS with twin 496HO's/Bravo III X's, DTS, and Axius. Has engine sync as you can throttle off a single shift/throttle lever. You never drive this boat with both levers. Around the dock you use the joystick and from there you go to single lever operation.

Engineering wise, that would be dead easy to do. Throttle by wire is now old technology.

You could do throttle by wire, engine synch and change to rpm control all at the same time. What I mean by rpm control is that the position of the throttle would represent the desired maximum rpm for the engine. Given that, when you launch out of the water the computer would cut the fuel to keep the rpm constant upon re-entry. I'm not sure about the response time but I bet it would be plenty fast for that to work.

Once the controls pass through a CPU, your options really open up.

Very interesting....

All quite intelligent and informative conversation I would say with absolutely no reason for riddicule or bashing.....just my .02

Question: Is it hard on the engines/ boat if in a twin engine application the rpm are off a by a couple hundred at wot??

My Ski Nautique has drive by wire with GPS controlled speed. It adjusts speed 3Xper second. Capable of pulling me through a slalom course at 16.95 seconds no matter what the wind, boat load, how hard I pull. Very amazing and so far fail safe. Note that a cable still opens the butterfly on the throttle body. For water skiing they have already created a Gps guided steering systems. I have no doubt that software could be created that would not allow the engines to overrev when coming out of the water. I know that management software could protect the engines more than the average captain.