This already happens with cars. For example, the difference between the BMW Mini One and Cooper versions is basically just a different engine map on the CPU, with the former restricted in power and the latter sold at a higher price http://www.newmini.org/content/mini_jan02.htm.
Deleting a certain gene in mice can make them smarter by unlocking a mysterious region of the brain considered to be relatively inflexible, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found.
