I don’t think you can go wrong either way, especially if you have no particular preference for one type of drive system vs the other (Direct Drive vs Belt Drive). They really are quite different in their advantages and disadvantages. But otherwise, follow your heart. One thing though, you wrote, "I also have more faith that VPI will continue to honor service well past the production period of the Forever One. I’m not sure I have that same faith in Panasonic once the 1200G is discontinued." You’ve got to be kidding. Panasonic (aka Technics) have been around as a company for more than 50 years, and that only counts their years in the TT business. Panasonic is one of the biggest businesses that still dabbles in audio, and I wager the 1200G series alone has sold more units than any other lineup in the world, not to mention all the very popular TTs sold under the Technics name since the 1970s. On the other hand, VPI is a family business, albeit a very successful and robust one. But its existence depends on the Weisfelds alone.
I see on line that there is an ADS motor controller available as an option on the VPI. I highly recommend that you budget for the ADS along with that turntable, if you go in that direction. Motor controllers make a huge difference (upgrade) for a BD turntable.