anyone done away with aircon any benefits

[rockmonkey69]

LOL what the mrs don't know wont hurt 

I'm on the standard rack and even then it is pretty difficult to dry steer if you need to, also pretty tough under 5mph around car park, which is a shame because I would love the ratio of the LCR rack when I'm above 20mph

I would not consider my car to be a purpose built track car, but I do use it on the track and as a daily. It's work in progress so I hope with time to get my car to drive how I would like.

[Agreeable Slick]

I don't have power steering, I have no intention on fitting an electric pump, just more parasitic drag through the alternator and I imagine it would make the steering that much more 'numb'.
I removed the power steering to improve feedback from the car and it has worked to no end, can definitely feel changes in road surface and the limit of traction.

I am inclined to agree with agreeable slick, if you can live without power steering, remove the power steering.

Uprate alternator, smaller gear cog. Order of magnitude smaller parasitic loss.

Electrical draw will always beat belt driven for reducing parasitic loss. You could always dlc the bores and bearings to reduce them further, depends how deep your pockets are

[rockmonkey69]

cheap and cheerful does me fine 
Underdrive pulley for the alternator and no other ancillaries does me fine

I did consider electric steering but I really worry it will bring a whole new level of 'numbness' to the drive. It's a shame so many modern cars are going in that direction now though. I drove a honda civic with the electric steering and I instantly thought to myself "Well I must be driving on ice!" Safe to say I will not be going back to power steering, especially on the mk4; it just feels so vague unlike the mk2 or a DC2 - the jap are pretty good with their power steering systems to not rob all feel.