Without getting into a lot of details, lets just say I have a lot of current experience in the F/A-18C.  NAS Lemoore (the Navy's west coast master jet base and its largest) has a few operational F/A-18E/F squadrons now.  Every single pilot I know still flying F/A-18C/D wants to fly the new Super Hornet.  We all lust for it.

Many lust MORE for the Super Tomcat, but as you said, that's another story entirely.