A couple of years ago I had an Impala SS. One of the "free" mods on that car was to bypass the coolant lines to the TB. Everyone claimed it was worth ~5 HP. I'm not so sure I belive that, but I am sure that anything that makes that maze of hoses simpler can only be good.
Also, fwiw, most piston engined aircraft have a carb heat feature, in the form of routing a small portion of exhaust around the carb to prevent icing when desired. I can tell you from experience that applying carb heat results in a loss in power. Of course, it can also keep your aircraft from an embarrasing "unplanned forced landing".
Apples to oranges, I know, but the same principle.
Brian