good to know but then if that is so then in a war how would a type 96 be able to catch up with the type 99. wouldn't that slow down the whole operation?
I think we should be careful not to get overly influenced by non-practical figures like top speed.
Those figures are usually 'massaged' a fair bit, and the equipment would rarely if ever be able to achieve them under operational scenarios. Just take the top speed of the speedometer of your car as a case in point.
What more, we should remember that the max speed figures for tanks are actually of very little use. What are far more important are their optimal cruise speeds and combat speeds.
Continuing the car analogy, your car might have a theoretical top speed of 250km/h, and it might go up to 200km/h with a reasonable load. But what happens to your fuel economy and engine temperature when you push you machine that far?
I think the 96 flaming out at the end could be a result of the crew having pushed the engine too hard for too long.
I can think of very few tactical scenarios that would require a tank to need to travel at top speed for prolonged periods of time, especially under combat conditions. In most cases, tanks would be going to cruising speeds, which tries to balance speed with fuel economy. That speed is determined more by the gearing than horsepower, and a tank with a lower top speed could easily have a higher cruising speed than another tank with higher top speed. It's all about prioritisation and design choice.
I would expect the 96 and 99 to have similar cruising speeds so they can keep pace with each other. Or at least that is a requirement I would have set if I was in charge of procurement in the PLA.
The other design parameter that is far more useful and important than top speed is combat speed. This is the speed at which a tank could still reliably engage targets while on the move. The higher this speed is, the more tactical options tank and field commanders will have and the harder it will be for an enemy to hit you.
We have all seen how much of a difference there is between the 96 and T72s. That can and will make a huge difference in a combat scenario.
Ideally, you want your cruise speed and combat speed to be as close as possible and to be as high as possible for obvious reasons. A big different between your top/cruise speed and your combat speed will erode the utility of your higher top/cruise speeds as the faster you go, the more you will need to slow down before you can engage an enemy. That adds precious seconds to your engagement cycle, which will likely more than offset any tactical advantages making a top speed dash might net you in a combat scenario.
In fact, the only combat scenarios that I can think off where a high top speed would be clearly advantageous are if you are outranged by enemy guns and need to close the distance ASAP(but again, that is offset by the need to drastically slow down once you are within gun range before you can engage in the case of the T72), and fleeing the battlefield after a defeat.
Neither are tactically situations anyone wants to find themselves in, so I think it's far better to design your tanks and tactics to make sure you don't find yourself in those situations rather than design your tank to make the best of a hopeless situation.
