I started driving in the late 50's so I grew up with the muscle cars of the 60's and 70's. I never had a true muscle car but did have some big V8's. Back then you either had a stick or a 3 speed auto...
It's not the gears or the tranny or the engine. It's power management.
In the old days when you stomped on the right peddle it snapped the butterfly open......NOW!!!
Now days when you stomp on the right peddle a signal goes to the puter which says, Oh I can't open too fast or the tires will lose traction and that would be bad.
Want it to open like the old days? Get a tuner and tune the lag out. You will have waaaaaaaaaaaaay more power than the "old days ever had."