Actually morgano that is not strictly true, the 6.1 update to Carrara has significantly improved its texture and memory handling abilities.

I have been able to cram an incredible amount of items/ figures into a scene(v4,v3,a3,sp3,m3,d3, all clothed and texured and with hair,stonemasons backstreets, mill dragon 2, that big ship by faveral etc) without Carrara Out of Memorying.

There was more in the scene but I cannot remember what else I stuck in, Oh yes apollo was in there and uzilte sports car. and still carrara kept going. it also rendered at very high quality settings with GI enabled.