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I don't know jack about platform sharing other than what I've seen firsthand and read about in the press.
What I've seen is that when BMW has built smaller cars off the base 3-series platform, there's almost no weight reduction. The first 1-series weighed about the same as the 3. And now the new M235i weighs in at 3500 pounds, also about the same as my 335i. I believe way way back, even the 318ti weighed about as much as a regular 318i.
I also have read reviews of infiniti's sport coupe - whatever the G35 is called these days. The reviews mention that the size, weight, and profile were all larger than desired due to platform sharing with a larger sedan.
So I suspect that most of the concerned people are like me - I have no engineering knowledge, but my past experience hasn't been that exciting with regards to platform sharing. If the next 7-series drops some weight and comes in at 4100 pounds due to the CFRP stuff, will BMW declare victory when they trim a little more and the shared-platform 3-series comes in at 3800 pounds because it's 300 pounds lighter than a 7-series? That would be a relative win but an objective loss in my book.
What I've realized with my F30 335i is that my pain point for weight is around 3300 pounds. When I get back in my E46 330i which I still have in the garage, it's obviously a slower car but the lighter weight is hugely noticeable and brings back the grins that the heavier F30 is missing. Personally, I don't plan on going above 3500 pounds again for my daily driver. At the end of the day the only thing I care about is the weight of my preferred daily driver - a 3-series.
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