Hi Monstrosix,
I have owned my 996 from new and absolutely love her !
Over the years (12) I have covered about 18,ooo miles which included 3 European tours !!
As I got a little older the extreme seating position is hard on my wrists, back, neck etc
So my dilema was very similar to yours
The answer for me was an S4RS.........
She has a great riding position which I find really comfortable, even on a long run and is probably equal in performance, handling and character to the 996.......... so yes you can have the best of both worlds ...