I plan on doing the standard intake, cat-back exhaust, and downpipe mods, and not a whole lot more right off the bat. What ECU would best suit my needs?

 

Personally I love the Apexi Power FC and especially the commander comes in handy. You could also us it further down the line if you are going single or any mods you will do. Or you can go with the M2 performance or the PFS piggy back computer that will takes those mods of yours nicely.

 

I would suggest getting one of the Pettit or M2 replacement chips. Just plug in and go.

Evertime I see people in the forum with blown or damaged engines, they're always running some programmable aftermarket ECU.

There are default maps (and programming) for the various programmable units, but IMO, unless you have a dyno to test your programming, I wouldn't mess with them unless you have to.

 

So with the Pettit or M2 basically all you have to do is plug it in, not much else? How much do these run? Is there one that is better?

 

They usually have different stages. From what I hear, M2's don't run well with mid-pipes, but I don't know if that's true or not.

Yes, you just plug them in and go. Call and talk to Pettit, they can give you all the information you'll need:

pettitracing.com
excellentperformance.com
ph. 561-844-2258
fx. 561-844-2553

1300 Old Dixie
Lake Park, FL 33403

Good luck, I'd highly recommend going with a replacement chip. If you move on to going Single Turbo or some upgraded Turbos, then you might look into the standalone management systems where you can dyno the car and tune it just right.

 

M2 or Pettit ECU is what you need. Even if you plan to upgrade later, stick with something simple for now until you can understand what goes on and what needs to be done.

Just plug it in and drive. You can pick up the M2 and Pettit ECUs for ~$500 used. M2 used to offer staged ECUs, now they just have the Stage 3 unit, which Brian recommendeds against using a MP with. Although I know many people, including myself, that run/ran with a MP with no problems.