1) Our workstations are setup with Core i7 Extreme Edition 965/12GB RAM/Quadro FX4800
Our primary rendernode is setup with Dual Xeon X5570s and 24GB RAM
2) The engine's .mxs is 4GB (the Rhino file is right around 2GB)
3) Its a complete engine with manufacturing tolerances. The inside components aren't complete yet...we're getting there.
Most of our clients need high resolution images as a final product. As a general rule, all our models/renders must hold up at 4000+ pixels.
We've done a 8000 pixel render of the engine for a mural print that went 47 in x 47 in (~1200mmx1200mm).