Personally, I found the pinking and strangled feel of the motor unpleasant. The clean running from the Stage One kit cured both of these issues with the added power something of a (very) pleasant bonus. I suspect that the loss of the pinking and all the excess heat that seems to go with the stock exhausts may turn out to be that rare thing in the tuning world; a modification that increases power and drivability while increasing engine longevity. What it does to the rest of the drivetrain is another question!
