No new stiffer ARBs about any more. One of the German firms - maybe Eibach - used to do them, but they come up very, very rarely. Indeed, the last one I heard of was found in Rallycinq's garden!
Rallycinq used to run without one (hence the one in the back garden), mainly, tarmac and sprints, I think.
As ARBs go, they're pretty simple -- should be possible to bend one up out of a high carbon steel.
Others -- most notably the Poles -- go for a rear ARB and FIAT actually homologated one, which suggests it works.
As for the springs, I've no idea if they're higher rate. Only way I can get an idea is to measure, which I'll do if I can remember.