20 May 2026

Review: 72050 Mario Kart™ – Luigi & Mach 8 from LEGO® Super Mario™

Posted by Tom Loftus
We are drifting back onto the track with the second larger-scale vehicle and driver from the Mario Kart™ sub-theme of LEGO® Super Mario™. 72037 Mario & Standard Kart was released last year and in April 2026, Luigi joined the race.

various images from a review of the lego construction of Luigi's Mach 8 cart in set 72050

Today I return to the rainbow road with a look at the new moulds, recolours, prints and techniques found in 72050 Luigi & Mach 8.


We were given this product early by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

72050 Mario Kart™ – Luigi & Mach 8

  • Release date: 1 April 2026
  • Pieces: 2234
  • Ages: 18+

Price: 

Other countries click here

Lego Super Mario 72050 Mario Kart™ – Luigi & Mach 8

New moulds

Luigi's moustache (7892)


Luigi's moustache (6576952 | 7892) is similar to Mario's (6528112 | 7211) from 72037
Mario & Standard Kart, but with a smoother lower edge:


The sideways orientation of the LEGO logos continues to bother me, but at least it is consistent across both moustaches and regular 2x6 plates.


In the unlikely event you need to integrate the second-most famous plumber's face fluff with other LEGO® System parts, you'll find it can nestle in and around them quite nicely, aside from the outermost curved edges that is.


6 x 12 x 3 windscreen (7893)

A more versatile new mould is the Mach 8's canopy; Windscreen Curved 6 x 12 x 3 in Trans-Black (6576971 | 7893).


The incline of the leading edge aligns to 3-brick-high 75° slopes while the angle of the diagonal cut matches the 30° of a cheese slope. The latter is a lovely bit of geometry that is highlighted in the set itself, as we'll see later. 


Rounded elements with a 5-module radius match up with the inner curved edge such as 5 x 5 x 3 1/3 Quarter Dome (76776) shown above left and Cone Half 10 x 5 x 6 (29096) on the right. Probably not the most useful combinations, yet satisfying nonetheless. You'll find another two new 5x5 LEGO elements in the recent Formula 1® helmet sets, as reviewed by Elspeth.



It strongly reminds me of a classic minifigure visor, but at 12 modules wide, it's sadly too big for use on one of the upscaled minifigure sets. Other uses could be an awning above a building's entrance or mudguards on a big vehicle such as a tractor. In both cases, an opaque recolour would be preferable if not essential. 

The aforementioned F1 helmets could've made do with this visor shape, but the specialised visor element created for those sets are no doubt more accurate for the job. 

Recolours 

Let's start with the veritable landslide of exclusive bright green elements, all of which are used for Luigi's green shirt and hat.

  • 6 x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 (6603347 | 79389)
  • 4 x Brick Curved 1 x 1 (6603355 | 7126)
  • 6 x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 1 2/3 (6603090 | 7527)
  • 2 x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 1 2/3 Quarter Dome with 1 Cutout (6603356 | 5906)
  • 4 x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Quarter Circle (6603345 | 5852)
  • 6 x Brick Special 1 x 2 x 1 2/3 with 4 Studs on 1 Side (6607834 | 22885)
  • 2 x Hinge Cylinder 1 x 2 Locking with 1 Finger and Axle Hole On Ends (6603358 | 53923)
  • 2 x Hinge Plate 1 x 2 Locking with 2 Fingers On End, without Groove, 7 Teeth (6603357 | 54657)
  • 2 x Plate 2 x 3 with 1 x 1 Cutout (6603088 | 73831)
  • 2 x Plate Angled 2 x 2 with Step and Hole in Center (6603354 | 79846)
  • 1 x Plate Round Half 3 x 6 with 1 x 2 Cutout (6603086 | 18646)
  • 4 x Slope 30° 1 x 1 x 2/3 Double Corner (6603353 | 7826)
  • 4 x Slope Curved 2 x 1 with Stud Notch Left (6603346 | 29120) – A very welcome recolour since its righthand-side counterpart has been lonely ever since its introduction in 2024!
  • 6 x Slope Curved 4 x 1 No Studs (6603348 | 11153)
  • 2 x Technic Brick 1 x 3 [3 Pin Holes] (6603360 | 5565)
  • 2 x Technic Plate 1 x 5 with Smooth Ends, 4 Studs and Centre Axle Hole (6603361 | 50029)
  • 1 x Windscreen 6 x 8 x 2 Curved in Bright Green (6596711 | 5274)

Here are the remaining exclusive recolours:

  • 2 x Slope 30° 1 x 1 x 2/3 Double Corner in Trans-Black (6603838 | 7826)
  • 4 x Brick Round Corner 4 x 4 x 1 in Flat Silver (6598967 | 5651)
  • 2 x Plate Round 4 x 4 with Pin Hole in Dark Blue (6603359 | 60474)
  • 4 x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 1 Curved Top, Corner in Reddish Brown (6601052 | 5846)
  • 4 x Tile Round 1 x 2 Half Circle in Reddish Brown (6603350 | 1748)
  • 3 x  Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 with Curved Top in Light Nougat (6603351 | 5841)
  • 1 x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Left in Light Nougat (6603349 | 5415)
  • 1 x Slope Curved 1 x 4 with Stud Notch Right in Light Nougat (6603352 | 5414)

It's great to see the 1x1 corner cheese slope appear in more colours, I imagine the trans-black ones will come in handy for depicting shattered glass. 

I was surprised it's taken this long to get 4x4 round plates in dark blue; hopefully someone out there is thrilled to see them at last.


Rare parts

Parts that appear in just 1 other set


  • 1 x Brick Round Dome 3 x 2 1/2 x 2 (Mario Nose) in Light Nougat (6532794 | 7256)
  • 4 x Plate Special 1 x 3 with 2 Studs with Groove and Inside Stud Holder (Jumper) in Light Nougat (6492198 | 34103)
  • 1 x Plate Round 1 x 2 Half Circle with Stud (Jumper) in Light Nougat (6576671 | 1745)
  • 7 x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Left in Blue (6497708 | 80177)
  • 7 x Slope Curved 3 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Blue (6497681 | 80178)
  • 6 x Slope 30° 1 x 3 x 2/3 in Light Bluish Gray (6594315 | 7825)
  • 2 x Arm Skeleton [Bent / 2 Clips] in Yellow (6529042 | 49752)
  • 4 x Brick Round Corner 3 x 3 x 1 No Studs in Red (6572524 | 65617)
  • 2 x Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Left in Blue (6559911 | 78443)

The quantity of blue curved slopes with cut edges forcibly reminds me of 76286 Guardians of the Galaxy: The Milano which also happens to contain x 7 of the 3 x 2 varieties (Left 80177) & Right (80178). You can read more about that in Kev's review of the LEGO GotG Milano set.


Parts that appear in 2 other sets


  • 2 x Wedge Plate 6 x 2 Right in Blue (6440000 | 78444)
  • 4 x Panel 1 x 3 x 1 in Blue (6587104 | 23950)
  • 2 x Tile 1 x 2 with Stud Notch Right in Reddish Brown (6570893 | 5092)
  • 6 x Slope Curved 3 x 1 No Studs in Light Nougat (6357800 | 50950)
  • 2 x Brick Round Corner, Curved 3 x 3 x 1 Quarter Circle in Bright Green (6404637 | 76797)
  • 4 x Brick Round Curved 1 x 1 x 1 Quarter Dome in Reddish Brown (6587621 | 5848)
  • 2 x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Quarter Circle in Light Nougat (6547144 | 5852)
  • 1 x Plate Special 1 x 3 with 2 Studs with Groove and Inside Stud Holder (Jumper) in Bright Green (6545371 | 34103)
  • 4 x Slope Curved 2 x 1 with Stud Notch Right in Bright Green (6460837 | 29119)

Parts that appear in 3 other sets


  • 2 x Plate 3 x 3 Yellow (6588872 | 11212)
  • 2 x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 Inverted in Light Nougat (6440976 | 73825)
  • 10 x Brick Round Corner, Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Quarter Circle in Dark Blue (6572736 | 5852)
  • 2 x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 in Dark Blue (6572731 | 79389)

Decorations

No stickers here: all decorations are achieved with printed elements, most of which are exclusive to this set.

  • 4 x Dish 8 x 8 Inverted [Radar] with Hub Cap, Red Spokes print in Red (6591568)
  • 1 x Brick Round 3 x 6 Half Circle with Bright Green 'L' in White Circle print in Bright Green (6591564) (Sadly the opacity of the white print isn't up to scratch).
  • 2 x Tile Round 3 x 3 with Bright Green 'L' print in White (6591563)
  • 1 x Tile Round 6 x 6 with Bright Green 'L' print in White (6591562)
  • 1 x Tile 1 x 3 with Dark Tan Mouth print in Light Nougat (6591565)
  • 1 x Tile 2 x 4 with White/Blue Eye, Black Eyebrow, Left print in Light Nougat (6591566)
  • 1 x Tile 2 x 4 with White/Blue Eye, Black Eyebrow, Right print in Light Nougat (6591567)

Above right are some reused prints found in 72037 Mario & Standard Kart:

  • 2 x Slope Curved 4 x 1 Double with No Studs with Silver Ovals print in White (6523151)
  • 1 x Tile Round 2 x 2 Half Circle with Nougat Inner Ear (Left) print in Light Nougat (6540217)
  • 1 x Tile Round 2 x 2 Half Circle with Nougat Inner Ear (Right) print in Light Nougat (6523155)

Luigi's Kart

A sturdy chassis made from a mix of LEGO® Technic and LEGO System parts accounts for the first few bags. Dotted throughout are various hinge connectors left exposed – hints of techniques yet to come. 

Incorporating the negative camber of the wheels (the top of the wheel is tilted inward) must have been a great challenge for the designers, particularly for the rear left hub (shown above top right) which doubles as the actuator for one of the play features. 

Note the clever use of knob wheels (32072, above bottom right) which transfer motion despite the irregular angle and spacing. 

Many of the subsequent steps generally have you build pairs of mirrored sub-assemblies. This isn't as tedious as it seems because each one typically includes a neat technique or else joins with the main build in a satisfying way. 

Here are some highlights: 

  • Above left: the tapering sides of the nose each connect to a single ball joint but are secured by some well placed parts and later subassemblies. 
  • Above middle: nearby, the yellow robot arms are carefully set in just the right position to mount the console and windscreen section. 
  • Above right: further back, the logo-less studs of rounded plates are exploited brilliantly to lock the parallel sides of the cockpit in place. 


Much like the nose section, the tail features a multitude of angled assemblies – all of which connect in different ways with minimal gaps. 

It's a wonderful build from start to finish, feeling much like a supersized LEGO® Speed Champions car with the frequency of interesting techniques.

The finished Kart doesn't disappoint either. It's smooth, aero-dynamic, sturdy and strikes an impressive likeness to the source material.


This stand is economic with the parts that are allocated to it. Having recently reviewed 77984 Jurassic Park Jeep® Wrangler, I notice the circular dais at the top could've used the newly introduced 8 x 8 Round Plate with 6 x 6 Round Opening (8083) instead of the rounded 1x1 and 1x2 plates. Presumably, the 8x8 plate wasn't available at the time this set was designed, or perhaps some other parts-based restrictions were in play. 


The Kart's functions are a bit of a mixed bag. Turning the rear left wheel does cause the flaming exhaust to spin as advertised, but even after fiddling with the gears to ensure none were sticking, the mechanism still isn't as smooth as expected. Similarly, the range of the front wheels is pretty limited, the Mach 8 certainly isn't going to be able to make any tight corners with that turning circle. 

However, since the model is primarily a display piece, I'd classify these features as fun bonuses rather than main selling points, so the shortcomings are forgivable.


A minor mod I'm considering is to substitute the front-most 1x4 slopes on the nose with a couple of 1x4 slopes with stud notch (left 5415 and right 5414). I feel the cut edges might flow into the circular intake at the front a little better. 

Since we're free of the many constraints LEGO designers have to adhere to, there are probably a few other similar mods one could make, but overall, the level of accuracy is commendable and I'm left more than satisfied.


LEGO Luigi

The same holds true for Luigi, who is also a delight to assemble. 

A SNOT-heavy skeleton is covered by tile and curved slopes, with connection points left exposed for limbs and head. There's quite a bit of shared design philosophy with 72037 Mario & Standard Kart, but that's hardly surprising. The two are brothers, after all! 


This is exemplified by the head which uses the same LEGO Technic solution for angling the back half of the skull and fixing the top of the cap. It still surprises me that so much is held together by just a couple of axles in an official set, but I can't argue with the results...


Comparison 

It's likely that if one of these sets appeals to you, the other will too, so I thought some direct comparisons might be helpful.

Firstly, the characters themselves. Note Luigi's polished posterior is a big improvement compared to Mario's blocky behind.


Here are the two behind the wheels of their respective vehicles. Immediately apparent is the size difference: the Mach 8 certainly has the greater need for shelf real estate. 

As a quick reminder, here's the stats for both sets:

Set RRP Pieces Price per piece
72037 Mario & Standard Kart US$169.99/ £149.99/ 169.99€ 1972 8.6¢/ 7.6p/ 8.6¢
72050 Luigi & Mach 8 US$179.99/ £159.99/ 179.99€ 2234 8.1¢/ 7.2p/ 8.1¢

For those keen on some light customisation, Luigi can fit comfortably in Mario's Kart (although it's probably worth throwing a few jumper plates on the seat to ensure his 5-module-wide buttocks stay put on the 6-wide seat). 

However, Mario's legs are unfortunately too long to squeeze inside the Mach 8. Removing his boots is the quickest way to success, but it wouldn't be too much of a bother to shorten his legs if amputation isn't your thing. 


Swapping the characters printed eye and mouth tiles is another fun option for owners of both sets, but given the infamous nature of Luigi's determined face, it's a shame a couple of extra 2 x 4 tiles with alternate prints weren't included. 

His bent knees allow him to... well, not stand exactly. Actually, now that I think about it, the clenched fists and angry eyes borrowed from Mario mean this pose probably isn't the best look!

Moving swiftly on.


Verdict

While the decision to use highly specialised moulds remains contentious among many fans, I reluctantly accept them in this instance. Even so, I'd still love to see the nose and both moustache variants show up elsewhere, just to prove their worth beyond the rainbow road. Perhaps Z-Blob from LEGO® DREAMZzz™ could make use of the nose if it were moulded in trans-green? 

The significant jump in size and element count (2234 parts for Luigi and his kart compared to Mario's 1972 parts) and consequent decrease in price per piece does justify the price difference between the two sets, but paying more for a companion build still feels unintuitive. 

However, considering that the techniques, parts and accuracy are pretty much maxed out, I feel 72050 Mario Kart - Luigi & Mach 8 represents excellent value for money compared to similarly priced LEGO sets.


US$179.99/ £159.99/ 179.99€/ AU$279.99

Lego Super Mario 72050 Mario Kart™ – Luigi & Mach 8



READ MORE: Even Formula 1-haters should build one of the incredible LEGO® Editions helmets

 

Help New Elementary keep publishing articles like this. Become a Patron!

A huge thank you to all our patrons for your support, especially our 'Vibrant Coral' tier: London AFOLs, Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Huw Millington, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Gerald Lasser, Baixo LMmodels, Sue Ann Barber and Trevor Clark, Markus Rollbühler, Elspeth De Montes, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Chuck Hagenbuch, Jf, Wayne R. Tyler, Daniel Church, Lukas Kurth (StoneWars), Timo Luehnen, Chris Wight, Jonathan Breidert, Brick Owl, BrickCats, Erin and Dale, Jake Forbes, H.Y. Leung and our newest top-tier patron, Keith Marcelletti! You folks are better than inverted cheese slopes.

All text and images are ©2026 New Elementary unless otherwise attributed.

Posted by: Posted on
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)