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"You wonder why they make I4's and not V4's?" You're trying to say that because an inline 4 is a better engine than a V4, that an I6 is better than a V6? That logic doesn't really work. I4's are not very well balanced, inherently. I6's are. I4's need twin balance shafts to operate smoothly. You can't really compare 4 cylinder motors to 6 cylinder motors- it's apples and oranges. What matters is where the center of masses of the cylinders are as the engine rotates, etc...it's a fairly complicated formula. The only engine configuration which is always balanced regardless of number of cylinders is a true boxer- where the cylinders are 180 degrees opposed and each have their own crank pin. "How is it that BMW's m3 engine is I6 if the v6 is cheaper to make?" I don't follow. While I doubt the actual difference in mass production costs is very significant, I think it would be *the I6* that is cheaper to make, due to less parts. "Everyone seems to want to skirt the issue... take a look at a really big fact: Nissan makes an I6 engine... they put it in the skyline.
Now I am not too sure on the whole bit, but I am thinking there is something better about an I6 compared to a V6..." An I6 used to be much better at high performance than a V6, because engineers hadn't yet figured out how to make the V6 operate smoothly and tolerate high power. Now that those issues have largely been solved, the shorter crankshaft of the V6, some would argue, actually makes the V6 superior for high power applications. But because of the history of I6's, probably biggest reason I6's are used is nostalgia and tradition. Some car makers, like BMW, feel about I6's like Chevy does about V8's...other engine configurations could get the job done, but they like a certain one and want to stick with it. And in the case of the skyline, which is turbocharged, the big advantage of the I6 vs V6 comes into play- it's friendliness to forced induction. Additionally, because some engineers consider the staggered/offset crank pins and odd conterweights of a V6 to be like bandages, they think of the V6 as a compromise (which it kinda is...), and see the straight six as a 'pure' motor. The point is, regardless of what you consider pure or a compromise, the two engines perform practically identically (given same bore/stroke dimensions, head design, compression, and state of tune), they are nearly identically strong, and the differences between the two is practically imperceptible to the unbiased driver, such that the main basis for deciding which 6 cylinder powerplant you want to put in a car is based more on compliance with the car's styling than on performance.
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