The VE Panther is a great system. We ran our business for 4 years with the exact same model. When we purchased a printer, we had to upgrade to the 'Q' series, and we're now running a 42" Q100. We sold our Panther (just the plotter and software, no vinyl) for just under $1400.
BTW, I don't know about transferring the warranty, but the new owners can transfer lifetime tech support for $250.