While we’ve seen plenty of 3D prints from Nintendo’s main games in the past, the Mario Kart series has received less attention from the maker community, but that changes today.

Maker and mechanical engineer Orlando Rodriguez (who goes by “Metalurgia’s Designs” online) created this print not just as a recreation of the Mach 8 kart, but as a functional RC car.

Rodriguez tells us that he started the project as a way to keep busy while on the job search, taking inspiration from this OpenRC F1 car project.

As a fan of Mario Kart and Nintendo in general, the Mach 8 was chosen as the shell for the car, which was created in Fusion 360 over the course of two months.

Unfortunately this initial design had clearance issues, on top of a motor that was too weak. After spending another two months fixing the model together with problems of thin walls and a correct gear ratio, the final kart was done.

Printing all the parts took around a week with the plastic being wet sanded once finished. The primer and paint used here is from Rust-Oleum, complete with the Mario M on the front.

For the electronics a 2845 brushless motor is paired with 2S LiPo battery and a metal geared micro servo. Rodriguez also adds that he’s working on incorporating a new front axle that will use a threaded rod as the axle instead of plastic.

The finished kart in the gallery below is 38 centimetres long, which is big enough to accommodate a plush toy driver.

The files to make your own are available for free on Thingiverse. To go along with this, there are a variety of different wheel options made to work with the Pro-Line M3 tyres.

Make sure you look out for future prints from this maker, as he’s already working on another kart shell to fit over this platform.

While you wait for that make sure you check out the video of the print in motion.