OK, from what I understand:
4-2-1 improves the driveability of the car for city traffic. Torque peaks at the lower RPMs making this possible. You might lose the high end and yet again, the high end might improve.
4-1 is nice if you rev your car really high. Torque peaks at the 3800-5000RPM band.
Does the engine displacement play a part? Will a puny 999cc engine benefit with a 4-2-1 extractor? Note the words that I use. It is benefit and not improve.
My driving style is the ecogreen style. Gear changes at 2.5k-2.8k RPM. At 4th (my final gear), I pull along up to 110-130 (4k RPM) when the JDM speed warning "ding-dong" kicks in (music to me )