Welcome back. Much has changed.
(Some) Modern ESCs can now use their computing power to change the timing of the motor on the fly. There are a number of ways of doing this, and the techniques used are given different names by the manufacturers.
The GM ESCs can do everything, have a reputation for speed, but also for complexity.
TekinRS and RS-Pro are fast, mostly reliable, and easy to understand and set up. The support is second to none, with Tekin staff regularly reading and posting on racer forums. For 13.5, you don't need the Pro version. Depending on how low a turn you specify, you may need the pro version for Mod.
Speed Passion is Schumacher distributed in the UK, and are similar in speed and setup ease to the Tekin.
The Joker in the Pack are the XEruns. These are manufactured by the same company, Hobbtwing, who make the speed passion range. They are effectively the same product at half the price. As easy as the Tekin to set up, they get my vote. I bought an XErun Xtreme Stock as a backup in case my Tekin failed, and now I am using it in preference.
You do need a computer to set all of these ESCs up to be their best, but they all (i think), have a option to create one or more "default profiles", which can be selected on the ESC buttons at the track.
In any case, my experience is that once you have set up the ESC for the motor characteristics, and your driving style, the changes required to optimise from track to track are minimal, (but still important for that last 2 10ths off the lap time), and can be driven around if need be.
e.g., It's important not to have the full boost advance kicking in on any corner exit. This will just spin the car off the track. If you can't tune it out with the computer, you may need to back off the throttle fractionally when driving, to ease off the boost on that corner. That costs you a 10th of a second.
Motors.
A 13.5 with one of these new breed of timing advance ESCs is faster than Mod used to be 5 years ago. You may find that you don't need anything faster once you have tried it.
I used to think that with brushless, all motors would be more or less equal. After all, what can be changed?
However, after recently moving from an LRP X11 to an LRP X12, I have to say that the newer motor does produce more absolute power than the older one, (once you have got the gear ratio right).
Motors which should be on your shopping list as "latest generation" are the LRP X12, (same as the Nosram Pure range), Speed Passion V3, and the Novak Ballistic. All have a slightly different "feel".
I could probably add more, but this will be enough to get you started.
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