BMWs with small six-cylinder engines

[Pentoman]

PH opinion tends to be that all the six-cylinder BMWs (e.g. the 320i 2.2, the 325i 2.5 and the 330i 3.0) will do similar MPG, so you should just buy the bigger engined version every time. However I have been thinking that there may be a case for the smaller engined sixes such as the 170bhp 2.2 litre. My thinking is that you still get the great sound, and the smoothness, and you get acceptable performance. However the car should also be lighter than the bigger engined models. It should for example have lighter brakes and wheels (all important unsprung weight), lighter drive components (the gearbox and shafts and all that) and should be a slightly better handler as a result. Not to mention costing less to insure. So I think that appeals to me a lot - possibly more so than an extra 50bhp which you can rarely put to its full use. I'm also guessing they've got lower ratio gearing which is no great shakes in the UK, in fact I like that.
Thoughts?

[Pentoman]

Alright... need to look into these weight figures and read some reviews. Clearly the big petrols have the extra acceleration, but for those who don't really need or want all that performance? I'm still wondering. The less torquey models should/could have a lighter gearchange/clutch, possibly things like more feelsome steering and smaller wheels/tyres and overall lower unsprung weight (?), plus the engines may be a bit smoother. If they have slightly lower grip limits that's no big deal, in fact possibly a good thing especially if they are approached with greater progression. Many reviews rate the handling of the lower powered/basic models of certain cars above the higher powered ones - they seem to prefer those with less weight over the nose and smaller wheels and tyres for pure handling. So, good though our modern BMWs are, they tend to be fairly weighty and are no nimble hot hatch on a narrow road, so I'm I still curious if a smaller six-cylinder could get closer to the best of both worlds.