I hope they come up with a better looking maelstrom before launch. I think everything else on the machine looks stellar, but the maelstrom sticks out like a sore thumb. I'd either ditch the kitchen-plastic-funnel material for something nicely painted/decorated or do something interesting with the lights to make it seem like an animated whirlpool.
If it does ship the way it is, then I'd be interested in seeing some mods to replace that piece.