New Mario Kart DLC Adds Real Mercedes Cars

In a very unusual move for the Mario Kart series – and Nintendo in general – a new pack of downloadable content for Mario Kart 8 featuring real-world cars will be released on August 27. In a collaboration between Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz, three Mercedes cars will soon be playable in the latest entry in the famous karting series.

The DLC pack will be completely free – and will enable games to drive the modern-day Mercedes GLA, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s and the classic Silver Arrow of the 1930s. To mark the launch, Nintendo will hold a Mercedes Cup tournament between 27th August and 23rd September – for gamers racing in the new cars.

There will also be a few gameplay tweaks in the DLC pack, which will include:

• Drivers will now have the option to display the course map on the TV screen during races.
• Users will be able to check out statistics such as their total number of coins accumulated, win-loss record from online play, and their most frequently selected character overall.
• Users will be able to change options of others’ Mario Kart TV downloaded highlight reels, such as changing the focus to a new character or event.
• The order of the menu after each race will be changed to “ Next Race”, followed by “Watch Highlight Reel”.
• The game will remember the most recent customised kart settings that were selected, even if the Wii U system is powered down.
• Improvements to stability of connection in online play to enhance the user experience.

These changes all look to improve the overall enjoyment of the title, and are also in response to feedback garnered from players since the launch of Mario Kart 8.

See the new cars in action in the trailer below: