Carbs can be better than injection if set up properly, but the other alterations you need to do make it unviable. (ECU, CAT, etc. etc)
So throttle bodies is the only realistic option.
Believe me I would love to run a twin set of double choke Webers..........
Carbs CAN be better than injection, if the injection system is restrictive or limited in it's adaptability.
Digi 3.2 is not.
The whole injection system is good for 190+ BHP if mapped correctly and when used with more aggressive cams.
On standard cams, changing to carbs would give little peak power gains over a re-mapped Digi 3.2 set-up, and you'd still need some means of controlling the spark - ideally fully mappable, so you'd need Magajolt or similar.
Failure to map the ignition would leave you with similar peak power to Digi 3.2 but with flat as a fart midrange and an effective power/torque drop through the rev band.
As has already been said, you would also kill the cat, so you'd need to remove it...and you'd fail the MOT.
It's just not worth it.
Especially downgrading a fully engine managed 16v to run stone-age approximately fuelled carbs.
Carbs can give good gains...once you get into wilder cams...but those wilder cams also bring the problems of jetting into play. Big peak power numbers, but awful drivability and midrange...whereas ITBs allow the same (if not higher) peak power numbers to be made but with perfect road manners and a much improved midrange.
Have many people ever run DCOEs?
They sound great...but are a pain. Always going out of adjustment, coughing and spluttering through the midrange, they won't idle when the engine is cold etc.
As for sounds, ITBs and carbs sound alike...
