Mario and his new luxury vehicle Pic: Nintendo

Racing games. You may be thinking of Need For Speed or Gran Turismo, but when it comes down to it there can only be one winner. Mario Kart. Luxury cars. Out of all the makes available on the market, no two words sum up class and style better. Mercedes-Benz. So you may be surprised to hear that Mario Kart and Mercedes-Benz have teamed up together on a new project.

A recently launched DLC pack (downloadable content) allows Mario Kart players to equip their favourite characters with one of three Mercedes-Benz cars. The Mercedes-Benz GLA, the 1950s 300SL Roadster and the classic Silver Arrow formula one car from the 1930s. Racing across the colourful crazy courses of Mario Kart has never been this classy. Here’s a quick guide to the three new cars.

The Mercedes-Benz GLA is a luxury compact crossover launched in 2013. With a top speed of 127 mph, the GLA should not be too shabby on the course. Dual stage airbags should keep you safe should you crash into any of the course obstacles, and the collision prevention assist system will guide you through any close calls. You might want to try a little harder when dodging those turtle shells and banana skins though – the GLA retails from £25,850.

Ideal for: Sturdiness, survival Poor for: Acceleration

The classic 300SL was the fastest production car of its time. One of the first fuel injected models, the 300SL was built on a metal skeleton which provided strength whilst reducing weight – ideal for the rough and tumble racing of Mario Kart. For its time, no production car was faster. The 300SL could easily top the ton, reaching speeds of up to 161mph. Perfect if you want to leave Luigi or Wario in the dust. Be extra careful though. Today a 300SL will set you back up to £1,000,000.

Ideal for: Speed, style Poor for: Safety

The final addition to the Mario Kart line up is the Silver Arrow. Used as the Mercedes team’s formula one cars, they became famous for their speed and handling. Originally painted German white, this was removed to the iconic bare silver chassis before a race in 1934. A change in competition rules meant that the car was overweight. In a desperate rush to make the car race ready, the engineers sandpapered the chassis down to its aluminium silver shell. And it worked. In front of a crowd of 300,000 spectators, team Mercedes won. Perhaps you won’t be racing in front of so many in Mario Kart, but the Silver Arrow’s speed and iconic look will surely fire you to victory.

Mercedes-Benz Wins!

The announcement of Mercedes-Benz and Nintendo partnering up for this promotion certainly turned a few heads. Whilst gaming purists complained that the real life cars tainting the fantasy world, the marketing campaign has been successful overall. With a Mercedes-Benz tournament launching later this month, all eyes will be watching to see just how successful the DLC will be. And who knows, it could lead to more computer game partnerships in future. Pac-man in a Ferrari? It could happen sooner than you think. The Mercedes-Benz DLC pack launches 27th August.

More from the Creditplus blog: Real life motorsport roundup! Another unique ad campaign – Toyota’s singing city Ghost mode on your windscreen? Have a look here.