You make a great point Marty. As Pete said, this car is a high-budget car considering it is a prototype showcasing so many parts, but renderings are becoming increasingly more popular for builders and owners of every level and budget.
You look at this car and it has just under 50 components to the kit that needed to be designed that are exclusive to this package and went through a period of development beyond fabricating a single one-off part. Is everyone going to need that? Probably not, considering that even most aftermarket companies develop 1 to 10 new products to showcase at SEMA each year.
That's one end of the spectrum. The other end is the backyard builder on a more modest budget that can't afford to screw around with painting the car twice or buying 3 sets of wheels to achieve the ultimate look for his dream car. Whether he/she builds at home or outsources for work, they need a plan, a blueprint, a clear goal and source of motivation to dig into their wallet every week and spend half their paycheck or more.
Also, there is nothing more frustrating to an owner than trying to communicate ideas to others what they envision for the car. What are the expectations of the builder and owner? If there is a difference of opinion how can you visualize the compromise? Will it look like a cohesive design or will it look like an eclectic hodgepodge of 2 sets of ideas that clearly don't go well together. Good designers work as a bridge of ideas that mitigate the stress of miscommunications and offer creativity and a vast knowledge of trends and the "next big thing". Beyond a pretty picture for your wall, designers are thinkers as well as artists. I have (3) 3 subject notebooks filled with ideas for projects since Jan. I have fat 3 ring binders busting at the seams with mag clippings and email printouts on projects I hope to get to someday.
The bottom line is good design is affordable and practical for everyone. Paper is a hell of a lot cheaper than metal and paint. And there are just so many great artists to choose from that offer a variety of perspectives, style and ability. You can't lose!
Sorry for the novel, I'll just keep posting photos...I promise!