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...
A Ford Super Duty gasser is not representative of what's really out there. They've been anemic for years. I've driven a few F250's with the 5.4L V8 in them, and they just like to make lots of noise and take their time getting places.
This new 2015 Silverado 1500 I have as my daily driver, on the other hand, has that old "kick in the pants" when you stomp on it. This is with the 5.3L, 6-speed and 3.08 gears, even!