Yep, Dave Bogert is the main guy at Motorworks West. That's where I Dinan-ed out my X. He is a decent, straightforward guy. You pose a very interesting question. Does the software by itself boost hp/torque, without any hardware mods?? No idea. But Dave should know. When I did mine I had them do a bunch of things all at once: CAI, throttle body, exhausts, and software. Then I stopped by a year later to get the strut brace. Dave can probably answer your question regarding software alone. If you're on a budget and were going to get just one hardware mod, I would start with the cold air intake (CAI). Go with that and the Stage 1 software.