A new Mario Kart 8 trailer has hit the interwebs, showing off new Mercedes Benz-themed DLC for the racers per a partnership between Mercedes and Nintendo.

Multiple Mercedes cars will be available to race with for free on Aug. 27, including the compact SUV the GLA, the Formula One racing car W 25 Silver Arrow, and the 300 SL Roadster. The trailer shows all three of the cars in action, with multiple colors and other adaptations available.

While it is really weird to see real-life cars racing around Rainbow Road, we don't mind this idea one bit. First and foremost it's free DLC, so there's not a dime spent on being able to race with these cars. Second, most of us aren't ever going to be able to afford a real Mercedes, so being able to download one for free is pretty cool. Lastly, if you don't like Mercedes, you can put your opponents in the cars while you pelt them with shells. Everybody wins!

We're sure there's going to be some, "Ew this is gross why would they do this?" commentary from the community at large, but this really isn't a big deal. If you don't want to see Mercedes in your Mario Kart, then don't download the content. There's no advantage to owning them, so you're not missing anything, and the rest of us who aren't as disgusted by it will enjoy it for you. It's that simple.

On the plus side, when the DLC arrives, so will some changes to Mario Kart 8 proper.

  • 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.

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