In the future.

If I wanted to make 3D models like this:

What software would I need? And to do this, would I need to attent night classes, or could I just pick up a book and start studying?

Don't worry I'm not after any quick results. :)

Rhino3D is my choice... yuo can now use a special modeller tool that lets you shape nurbs like a lump of clay and ALL my sculpture classes would finally amount to something... I have Rhino3D but I don't have the tool...

Classes would help there are a few eSchools that allege to teach game programming or Visual Graphics... I haven't really seen any at college campuses in Houston though... Doesn't mean none exist... I just didn't see or hear of them. I learned as the software was being created version by version (same way with Corel and PSP) So a book would help too. It depends on how you study and learn. If you do well with that sort of thing full jets dude!
:)
RZ

Most professional Modellers can do this. 3D studio Max, Maya, Lightwave, XSI, etc.

The thing that is looking good is the reflective surface, the chrome parts as well as the shiny sureface.
You'll get this effect with cubic enviroment-mapping. Even Blitz has (realtime) Cubemapping.

Two minutes with my lover, Google, revealed that you need Silo for modeling ($100) and Cinema4D ($695) for rendering images like this.



Tony Jung interview:

http://www.nevercenter.com/silo/interviews/tony_jung/

http://www.cgchannel.com/gallery/viewimage.jsp?imgID=4439

http://www.maxonshop.com/cgi-bin/us/gp?pg=products/cinema4d.main