Spot on Fred. Yes I have the PiperX panel filter. Got it from Demon Tweeks, about £30 I think. Makes no difference to the noise at all as far as I can tell. Power? Well my quarter mile times are not too shabby for a Mk2, but the rolling road day might tell us more. I very much doubt whether it would make much difference on its own though.
One benefit of these filters though is that they are re-usable. You just give it a good wash in soapy water every now and again, dry it out and give it a good squirt of the oil that comes with it. Saves a few quid every service, so youll be in profit on the deal after 2 services.