So I've been kicking it around for a really long time, but I finally pulled the trigger on the Vmax ported TB. I got it, as well as the Black Iceolator, from Phil at Tampa Tuning. By the way, Phil is great to work with!
I got the Vmax ported TB and put it on the car today. First impressions are still kinda fuzzy - it's rainy and wet out so I'm a little light on the throttle - you know, for safety. It does feel smoother overall, the little lag/lurch when shifting and starting out doesn't seem to be there anymore which is a huge improvement. I'm still feeling it out, but it definitely is not snake-oil. I'll update later on with more details, and I'll add my thoughts on the iceolator as well. Maybe I can convince someone else who is still on the fence about them.
Had a couple concerns initially:
Immediately after installing and plugging it back in, I got a "Service Stabilitrak" light upon startup. I shut it down, took off the negative terminal, and tried again. Still got it at first but it went away quickly. I have a CEL locked in due to the evap solenoid (p0449) so I'm not sure if there's a different code on top of it, but it drives normally.
My other concern was the condition of the throttle body I pulled off. The blade was pretty dirty! I'm just under 60k miles, *most* of which have been with a K&N intake, catch can and breather cap. I put somewhere between 4k and 10k on the car bone stock before any mods, and I don't think I cleaned the TB or anything when I first put the intake or catch can on. Could be residual build-up, but we'll see how the valves look when I take the intake apart next week.