Got a Neo CPS Auto with BOT here so I will answer a few of your questions based on what I have experienced so far. Yeah, I know people will say Auto is no good and etc etc. I agree up to a level but please bear in mind, my Neo is a work in progress, which means it will be upgraded as I use it in the future.

1) Don't know about that, so I'll leave that to manual owners to answer.

2) Standard Auto is of course, underpowered compared to manual. I have been in my friends' Neo CPS manual. The manual version does accelerate a bit better.

3) I believe CPS engine is designed to be revved high. It will become much more alive after 4400rpm. Changing your exhaust will make your Neo sound nastier

4) I started with small upgrades such as those listed and then I decided to go BOT after much advise. I did it in KK. Total damage is around rm9k. I didn't change anything inside the engine including the piston because I specifically ask the mechanic to boost low. My boost is just at 0.4bar but that's enough for my usage. My aim is to have higher torque, not top speed because I travel a lot going up and down the Crocker range roads. The stock CPS is really useless going up the mountains, I tell you. Always got tapau'ed by a lot of bigger cars and 4WDs. After BOT, well the situation is reversed

These are some of the upgrades done for the BOT:

Turbo header Campro CPS 4x1
Stainless steel piping kit with hose and clamp
Apexi delta fin intercooler HYBRID
Turbo rhf4 ball bearing
HKS SSQV 4 blowoff valve
Turbosmart wastegate 38mm
Original K&N air filter 3 inch
Hayden USA trasnmisssion oil cooler
Nozzle 550cc -injector change
Works Fuel regulator stage 1 w/ oil meter
Works Fuel Rail 10mm
E-MANAGE system w/ install
Velocity Intake CAMPRO
HKS Fully Synthetic Racing Oil
HKS oil filter Racing
Sard Thermal Wrap with Cable tie
Exhaust Change Steel
Piping throttle adjustment
Fuel rail adjustment
Brided hose inlet turbo
Fiiting intake copper
Hose elbow 2"-2.5"
OBD check at GREEDSPEED
Oil cooler hose samco
Sensor exhaust and Map change
Proton engine check and clear code
Gearbox flush and change oil 6 litre
Downpipe wastegate

The mechanic did indeed have some troubles with the e-manage but somehow he solved the problem. My 2nd time tuning (at another performance garage in KK, sent by the mechanic) has made the car much more powerful and smoother gear change plus better FC (before tuning: 300km full tank. After tuning: 350km+ full tank).

5) Change the engine if you think it's worth it. Some people want me to change the engine instead of doing BOT. This is just an experiment for me so, I just use the CPS engine until it dies then I'll change to something else. Last time I dyno, the car produces 176whp, so I think that's alright. The thing is, I have done more than 25,000km after BOT and it doesn't give me any major problem at all. This car has been to Kuching twice from Sabah and it's gone almost every week up and down the Crocker range when I go to KK from Tenom. I love it. You will be surprised but the engine is reliable and send to service when it's time to. I guess I can attribute it to the mechanic. If there's any problem, I will ask my mechanic first.

6) Invest in stabilizer bars. They are not that expensive and it's worth it. Got a few of them in front, at the back and inside the fender (that triangle thingy?) with 205/50/16 Yokohama tyres. Man, that car can take corners at high speed and without having any tail wiggling. Correct me if I'm wrong, smaller rims means they are lighter, so better acceleration. The main reason I don't go for 17" is because of the rough roads in Sabah here. I think Sarawak is much worse.

That's my opinion. Appreciate any feedback from the sifus here. Selamat hari raya aidilfitri

As I said before, the damage is about RM9k. That means all the upgrades listed but not included other parts like stabilizer bars which I've put before that. I think you can get a new Mistubishi engine for less than that but who cares, that's my money after all not other people's

People say Haltech is the best. I don't know about that but for e-manage, my mechanic did mention something about e-manage don't have the manual/schematic thingy to tune for CPS but afterwards he said he then know how to do it. That guy is brilliant. He will learn something quickly and he's done a lot of turbo/performance conversion on other cars with excellent results.

I always visit my friends in Sarawak every year so Kuching is always in my list.hehehe

OIC is every 10k. I use fully synthetic oil. No problem at all so far. My suspension is still stock. I kinda like the ride. Thinking of upgrading the brakes but they still work perfect so far.