my take:
2) I never had the vehicle dyno'd when I had it, but seat of the pants 93 Stage 1 vastly outshone 91 Stage 1. And although I even had a TDC 93 Stg1 map, I still thought the car was a bit weak. Stage 2 is the cure I guess. Also could have been the EAT holding it back a bit.
4) Not that I could tell that it did (I think a twin turbo setup would do it), but it (the map) seemed to vastly smooth the transition into boost. But it was still there, and after some experience turns into a likeable characteristic. An advantage in slow traffic, actually.
When I unmarried the Cobb, the car still felt like it had decent transition, vs. when I first had it. Maybe I got used to it. Try it out you'll know quick enough. It's really a great car!