In the beta test, the new renderer is around 10-25% faster(figured i'd not that, incase your not in beta). This is measured on a faster comp, so prolly even more of an improvement for older comps. Don't have any idea when all of this would be final though, or if the new renderer is in an early stage, but if a second set of coordinates were possible now, all lighting can be done using 3ds Max, or any other texture baking/lightmapping program.

Mabye JCL can confirm if indeed there will be some standard lightmapping on models within the engine, once the new rendering kernel/scene managment is released. He's gone on holiday right now though. I sure hope so though, would make it even easier than doing within Max.

P.S - Nice screens, though was wondering, why the need for static shadows when using Sphere?