Mario Kart 8 Update Coming With Mercedes-Benz Cars and More

Written by Brandon Hofer on August 06, 2014

News: Nintendo has revealed that a new update for Mario Kart 8 will be arriving later this month bringing some new features and new cars.

Nintendo has revealed that Mario Kart 8 will be receiving an update later this month and, for the first time ever, it will be receiving some real-world horsepower. The update is set to hit on August 27 and will deliver a variety of new features for players, including the ability in-game to download three free Mercedes-Benz cars that players can race: the modern Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 300 SL Roadster from the 1950s and the legendary Silver Arrow of the 1930s.

The GLA model comes with special wheel options, while players can customize all three new karts with various wheels and gliders in the game. The new content arrives on the 22nd anniversary of the launch of the original Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart, which first launched in Japan on Aug. 27, 1992. To further celebrate the upcoming anniversary, Super Mario Kart launches today for $7.99 in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U. Players can now experience where the series got its start.

Between Aug. 27 and Sept. 23, Nintendo and Mercedes-Benz will also host an online worldwide “Mercedes Cup” tournament. All competitors need is a Wii U console, Mario Kart 8 game, a broadband Internet connection and the Mercedes-Benz karts. Access to the “Mercedes Cup” in the game can be found in the online tournament section.

The Mario Kart 8 update will also add a variety of new features including:

Drivers will now have the option to display the course map on the TV screen during races

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 kart options that were selected, even if the Wii U system was powered down

Users will be able to change options of other players’ Mario Kart TV downloaded highlight reels, such as changing the focus to different characters or actions

A score screen will be added so players can see how many coins they’ve collected, the win-loss record of their online battles and their frequently used characters

Improved the stability of the online connection to enhance user experience during online battles

What do you think about this new update for Mario Kart that will be coming later this month? Will you race around the Mushroom Kingdom in a Mercedes-Benz? Tell us what you think below.