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Flat Plane Vs Cross Plane V8 engines. A flat plane V8 (animated on the left) is very much like two inline-4 engines mated together in a V configuration. Therefore end-to-end balance is inherent, as the first and last piston of a bank is always exactly in the same position, as are the center two pistons on each bank.
It's natural. No other single point in an aircraft drives so much of its performance, personality, cost, safety, and resale as its propulsion. Even from a purely technical viewpoint, the engine sits in the middle of a three dimensional Venn diagram of hoses, wires, mounts, accessories, pipes, cowlings, and on and on.