Hi all,

First of all, I'm sorry if I have posted this in the wrong forum- the program specific forums didn't seem to be the right place as my question is about many programs.

After having a stroke at the price of the very popular 3DS Max - $3500 is more than I am willing to spend on a program - I need some other options for 3D programs and I don't know where to begin. What I want to do ultimately is design cars that are a digital recreation of exotic cars. There are lots of cars that I have seen on Renderosity and deviantART but they are mainly made using 3DS Max.

My question is, would Carrara 8 allow me to design cars and vehicles? Or is there another program someone could suggest that doesn't have as nearly a crippling pricetag as 3DS Max.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time on this forum, and the marketplace, developing my newbie digital art skills. 

Konstantine