'Mario Kart 8' DLC Release Date This Summer: Mercedes Benz Confirmed For North America And Europe

North American and European “Mario Kart 8” drivers will have access to a special Mercedes Benz DLC this summer, according to a tweet posted by Nintendo of America last Friday. The downloadable content will feature a Mercedes GLA-class coupe.

Last month, Nintendo revealed that players in Japan would gain access to the DLC, but didn’t mention when the content would launch in other regions.

"The announcement this time was made by Mercedes-Benz Japan regarding their collaboration in Japan with [Nintendo Co. Ltd.]," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer May 29.

"As for the information relating to the distribution of the GLA kart for ‘MK8’ outside Japan, we will be able to announce in the near future."

Last week, it was revealed the game’s May 30 launch boosted sales of the Wii U by more than 90 percent over May 2013.

Since the Wii U's launch in 2012, the console's sales figures have been less than impressive. Last year's release of Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 have done little to help the Wii U's struggling numbers.

According to Port Washington, New York-based market research company NPD Group, “Mario Kart 8” was the third-best-selling game software in May. It also became the Wii U’s fastest-selling game with more than 1.2 million units sold worldwide within less than two weeks of its launch.

“This year, we had a steady stream of great content,” Scott Moffitt, executive vice president of marketing at Nintendo, told International Business Times last week during the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. “'Mario Kart 8’ is just phenomenal. You just jump in; there’s always people ready to race. It seems like online play has gotten really popular. I love that.”

In the game, there are 32 courses with two Rainbow Roads. There are 16 mainstay characters, with 14 unlockable characters.