I agree the look of the steering is one of personal tastes, but after installing the meaty M steering wheel in my own car, I would never go back. The larger diameter gives the perfect grip IMO. I do prefer my smaller airbag section over the B3's however.
As for the 8 speed, to quote Alpina: >> ZF 8-Speed Sport-Automatic transmission means that the new BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo is positively playful in every situation – its power can be called upon at all times in order to enjoy that typical ALPINA driving experience. <<
The engine is rated at 410HP while still delivering a combined ECE norm of 7.6L/100KM.
I personally still prefer the "being part of the car" feeling a manual shift offers