What to do, what to do.........
 

I was planning on getting Flowmaster American thunder 2-chamber exhaust, headers (not sure what size yet),cold air intake and either an x or h-pipe for my 96 GT 5-speed
Heres my question.
Would getting the K&N Aircharger "for racing use, not street use" cold air intake, , smog illegal be overkill? Also would an x-pipe or h-pipe be best (without cats)?
I am afraid if I open the exhaust up too much, I will gain some hp, but loose torque. I want my car to be fast off the line and not be tuned for high end speed. Any help would be greatly appreciated