[dBlast]

Other than the other likely suspects (boost, header, exhaust, suspension, tires,) a couple of things that actually made the car funner to drive:

Aftermarket pedals (Steeda)
Focus Central throttlebody

I am a big fan of 'heel & toe' shifting and the puny stock gas pedal and the stiffly sprung stock TB made it difficult to blip the throttle during downshifts.

I've had different TBs in my car (stock, BBK, Jackson Racing) and nothing beats the feel of the FC. In order to blip the gas while braking you need something bigger than the stock pedal.