Skip to main content

Ever wanted to drive a real-life Mario Kart? Well now you can (that is, if you’re child-size)

Anyone who owned a Nintendo 64 can tell you that if they had three wishes from a genie, the first would be to own a real-life Nintendo Mario Kart.

Without you ever needing to find a lucky monkey paw, Jakks Pacific has answered this wish by producing a battery-powered, child-size Mario Kart in conjunction with Nintendo.

Recommended Videos

Although the ride on doesn’t allow you star quality powers, nor the ability to shoot empty Koopa shells at rivals, the kart is powered by a six-volt battery and comes with all of the sounds included on the Mario Kart 7 video game kart.

Jakks Pacific Mario Kart
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The kart offers the ability to switch between on- and off-road tires. Regrettably, the kart is not a toy for adults. I’m sure, however, some parents will try to take it for a spin – I know I would, if I could get my hands on one.

The bad news doesn’t end there, I am afraid. The Jakks Pacific Mario Kart is only going to be available in the United Kingdom, with the official release in June.

It looks like this summer I may have to take a trip for some afternoon tea and a couple laps around the track in this awesome electric runabout. The Brits seem to have all of the fun with their little tikes’ cruisers, with this kart being a wise addition to any garage already housing a mini DB-5.

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?
Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Read more
EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says
ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Read more
Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says
Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.

Read more