Mercedes-Benz is now a part of the Mushroom Kingdom. To commemorate the simultaneous release of Nintendo's excellent Mario Kart 8 and the new GLA SUV — both available in Japan from today — you'll be able to download a "GLA Kart" to use in your races against Bowser, Yoshi, and co.

The downloadable content will be free and available from this summer in Japan, but it may make its way elsewhere; a Nintendo UK spokesperson told Eurogamer that "we will be able to announce in the near future" any plans for a wider release.





Although the inclusion of real vehicles in Mario Kart may seem incongruous, it shouldn't be too surprising —Nintendo has indicated a desire to expand IP licensing efforts to boost its flagging financial performance, and there have been crossovers before like the Duracell batteries found in the Pikmin series. What should be surprising is the deeply weird TV commercial below, in which an 8-bit Mercedes drives its way through the first level of Super Mario Bros. before the action is brought uncomfortably into the real world — mustache and all.