Tatra T700: which version to buy
The Tatra T700 ran as 1 generation from 1996 to 1999 in one body: Sedan 2-doors. All four catalogue versions share a 5-speed Manual, RWD, a 72 L tank, 170 mm ground clearance, and independent spring suspension at both ends. The buying choice is not generation or body. It is engine size and front-brake hardware: two 3.5 MT rows at 200 hp and two 4.5 MT rows at 430 hp.
The Tatra T700 ran as 1 generation from 1996 to 1999 in one body: Sedan 2-doors. All four catalogue versions share a 5-speed Manual, RWD, a 72 L tank, 170 mm ground clearance, and independent spring suspension at both ends. The buying choice is not generation or body. It is engine size and front-brake hardware: two 3.5 MT rows at 200 hp and two 4.5 MT rows at 430 hp.
Specs: what actually differs between T700 versions
Same name, two rows — keep them separate.
| Version | hp | kW | Nm | Displacement (cc) | Fuel | Cylinders / layout | Boost | Gearbox / gears | Drive | Front brakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 MT | 200 | 147 | 300 | 3495 | Gasoline | 8, V-shaped | No | Manual, 5 | RWD | Ventilated disc |
| 4.5 MT | 430 | 316 | not measured | 4479 | Gasoline | 8, V-shaped | No | Manual, 5 | RWD | Ventilated disc |
| 3.5 MT | 200 | 147 | 300 | 3495 | Gasoline | 8, V-shaped | No | Manual, 5 | RWD | Disc |
| 4.5 MT | 430 | 316 | not measured | 4479 | Gasoline | 8, V-shaped | No | Manual, 5 | RWD | Disc |
Power, torque, displacement, and gearbox do not change inside a pair. Front brakes do: Ventilated disc versus Disc. Rear brakes are Disc ventilated on every row.
Engine: 3.5 MT 200 hp versus 4.5 MT 430 hp
3.5 MT is the documented small engine: 3495 cc, 200 hp (147 kW) at 5750 rpm, 300 Nm at 4000 rpm, 8 cylinders V-shaped, 2 valves per cylinder, No boost, Rear engine, Carburetor, compression 9.3, bore × stroke 85 × 77, fuel 95. Specific output: 200 / 3.495 ≈ 57.2 hp per litre.
4.5 MT is the documented large engine: 4479 cc, 430 hp (316 kW), 8 cylinders V-shaped, No boost, Distributed injection (multi-point). rpm for peak power, torque, valves per cylinder, engine location, compression, bore × stroke, and fuel grade are not measured. Specific output on the numbers we have: 430 / 4.479 ≈ 96.0 hp per litre.
Arithmetic on the two engines:
- Extra displacement: 4479 − 3495 = 984 cc (≈ 28% more).
- Extra power: 430 − 200 = 230 hp (2.15×).
- Extra kilowatts: 316 − 147 = 169 kW.
- Power per litre is ≈ 38.8 hp/L higher on 4.5 MT (96.0 − 57.2).
- Torque is 300 Nm on both 3.5 MT rows and not measured on both 4.5 MT rows — do not invent a torque gap.
If the question is “what does the larger engine buy,” the catalogue answer is 230 hp and a jump from Carburetor to Distributed injection (multi-point), not a change of cylinder count, layout, boost, gearbox, or drive. All four versions stay 8, V-shaped, No, Manual 5, RWD.
Performance: 0–100, top speed, mpg
3.5 MT (both 200 hp rows): 11.4 s to 100, top speed 190. Fuel use city / highway / combined: not measured. CO2 and eco class: not measured.
4.5 MT (both 430 hp rows): 0–100 not measured. Top speed 250. Fuel use city / highway / combined: not measured. CO2 and eco class: not measured.
Top-speed gap: 250 − 190 = 60. That is the only measured speed comparison. mpg is not measured on any T700 version in this dataset, so economy cannot pick a winner.
Weight-to-power (kerb ÷ hp):
- 3.5 MT: 1810 / 200 = 9.05 kg/hp
- 4.5 MT: 1840 / 430 = 4.28 kg/hp
4.5 MT carries ≈ 4.77 kg less per horsepower (9.05 − 4.28). That is the strongest measured argument for the 430 hp rows if the goal is how much mass each horsepower must move. It is not a 0–100 claim: 0–100 for 4.5 MT remains not measured.
Dimensions and weight
Wheel sizes: not measured on all four versions. Ground clearance 170 mm and tank 72 L are the same, so they do not decide the purchase.
| Version | Kerb (kg) | Gross (kg) | Payload (gross − kerb) | Tank (L) | Clearance (mm) | Wheels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 MT (200 hp) | 1810 | 2260 | 450 | 72 | 170 | not measured |
| 4.5 MT (430 hp) | 1840 | 2250 | 410 | 72 | 170 | not measured |
4.5 MT is 30 kg heavier at kerb (1840 − 1810) and 10 kg lighter at gross (2260 − 2250). Payload therefore drops 40 kg (450 − 410). If the job is carrying mass, 3.5 MT is the larger-payload car on these numbers. If the job is power relative to kerb, 4.5 MT is the lighter-feeling car on kg/hp, not on absolute kerb.
Generations: what 1 generation does not split
There is 1 generation (1996–1999), 4 versions, body Sedan 2-doors. There is no second generation to compare, and no restyling generation in the data. Years, body, gearbox type, gear count, drive, tank, clearance, and suspension wording are identical across all four rows. “Which generation” is not a T700 question. “Which 3.5 MT or 4.5 MT, and which front brake” is.
Problems and reliability
Problems, reliability, service intervals, and failure rates are not measured in this catalogue extract. Do not treat silence as “no problems.” What is measured and can go wrong in a spec sense: 3.5 MT is specified with Carburetor and fuel 95; 4.5 MT injection type is Distributed injection (multi-point) with fuel grade not measured. Those are different fuel systems on paper, not a reliability ranking.
Which version to choose
Choose a 3.5 MT (200 hp) if you want the only versions with a full measured engine card: 300 Nm at 4000 rpm, 11.4 s to 100, 190 top speed, Rear engine, Carburetor, 9.3 compression, 85 × 77, fuel 95, kerb 1810, gross 2260, payload 450 kg. You give up 230 hp and 60 of top speed versus 4.5 MT.
Inside 3.5 MT, the two 200 hp rows are not power variants. Pick Ventilated disc front if you want the more heavily specified front brake; pick Disc front if that is the row that matches the car in front of you. Power, torque, 0–100, top speed, weights, tank, and clearance are the same.
Choose a 4.5 MT (430 hp) if the arithmetic that matters is 96.0 hp/L versus 57.2, 4.28 kg/hp versus 9.05, and 250 versus 190. You pay 30 kg extra kerb and lose 40 kg payload. You also accept a thinner card: torque, 0–100, rpm, valves, engine location, compression, bore × stroke, fuel grade, and mpg are not measured.
Inside 4.5 MT, both rows are 430 hp. The split is again front brakes: Ventilated disc versus Disc. Rear remains Disc ventilated. Top speed 250, kerb 1840, gross 2250 do not change between the two 4.5 MT names.
What extra money cannot be calculated here. Prices are not in the data. The extra you can count is 230 hp, 984 cc, 60 top speed, 30 kg kerb, and −40 kg payload when moving from 3.5 MT to 4.5 MT.
Short rule: one generation, one body, four rows, two engines. If you need 0–100, torque, and fuel grade in writing, that is 3.5 MT at 200 hp. If you need the highest listed power, specific output, and top speed, that is 4.5 MT at 430 hp. Then match the front brake label — Ventilated disc or Disc — to the exact 3.5 MT or 4.5 MT row, because the names collide and the horsepower does not split them.