The ESC usually comes in two main flavors. I think the most common for the cars (might) still the DC pulsed controller (for brushed motors). You could build one of these pretty easily for your car using the hardware PWM, with much the same techniques that you have already used.

http://www.designsoft.com.au/ahome/rc/PIC-ESC/ESC.html
http://www.jimfranklin.info/microchi...ets/00847a.pdf


As far as modern, the modern ones for RC planes are 3 phase brushless ESC's. I suspect this has made its way to the RC cars as well. This is pretty complex, although it has been done by a few do it yourselfers.

http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/e...tes/00857a.pdf


Walter