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Bottom line - obviously BMW M is weighing the pros/cons of I6 vs. V6 very carefully - I'm confident that if the F80 M3 has a V6, it is safe to say that the benefits of using a V instead of inline outweigh the cons - and I would certainly trust the M Division's weighing of pros/cons of both configurations a thousand times more than the people on this forum who, even if they have engineering degrees, still don't have access to the hard test results that will ultimately lead to M's decision.
I'm sure everyone here loves their NA V-8 - I sure as heck do!! At the same time, the Nissan GTR has a V6 and turbos, rather than an I6/V8, and rather than NA - yet you don't see the automotive press or forums claiming that the GTR is "just a status symbol", "not responsive," having an "unbalanced engine...." etc. etc. In fact, I can't ever remember reading a car magazine review of the Nissan GTR where the end result was "gee, it would have been a great car if only it had a naturally-aspirated I6 or V8 instead."
Once again, I understand that an I6 has certain, inherent advantages over a V6 - particularly balance. However, the V6 is inherently better in terms of cylinder/piston cooling, weight being further aft, etc. If the I6 is truly better overall for the F80, then I believe that is the engine that the M Division will pick. Also, when you look at the C63 AMG coupe (and even the RS5), Mercedes and Audi (and even Lexus with the ISF) have done a pretty good job of "closing the gap" between the M3 and it's competitors (which I like, since it forces BMW to make the M3 much better than it would otherwise be).
The M3 is BMW's highest-profile car - BMW can't afford to have the M3 lose its benchmark position by going with a V6 over an I6 for the simple reason that it might reduce production and/or development costs (which is why I believe that if they go with the turbo V6 - it will be because it had clear performance advantages over a turbo I6).
So - that's my non-engineering opinion on the issue.
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