The LEGO Mario Kart Luigi & Mach 8 (72050) set is arguably the finest of 2026 so far.
Matt Gardner
New LEGO sets in 2026 have been a mixed bag, but one thing’s for sure: its Nintendo partnership continues to hit the mark. In fact, the LEGO Mario Kart Luigi & Mach 8 (72050) set is not only better than its superb Mario & Standard Kart (72037) predecessor — it’s arguably the best of the theme so far.
If anything, it might be LEGO’s most impressive release of the year to date, though it’s been an odd one for the company, which has gone hard with its commercialization agreements. It’s expanded its Formula One and Nike ranges, though is maximizing its FIFA ties ahead of the World Cup, coughing up some truly weird sets like the weird Football diorama (43019), the statues of Lionel Messi (43015) and Cristiano Ronaldo (43106) that look more like JD Vance and Shakin’ Stevens respectively, and the dull 2025 U.S. National Soccer Team Jersey (43033) that will end up in a drawer before the last 16.
Most importantly, the Luigi & Mach 8 build is all the more impressive for how it improves upon last year’s Mario Kart model, showing just how far LEGO’s developers have come in creating Super Mario builds at this scale. Despite following a lot of the same or similar rules, Luigi looks perfect, the Mach 8 is replicated to a T, and the entire build feels more solid, reliable, and interactive.
Pieces: 2,234
Price: $179.99 (€179.99, £159.99)
Dimensions: 10in (25cm) tall, 16in (41cm) long, 9in (23cm) wide
Estimated build time: Four hours
This Luigi-themed Mario Kart set is broken down into a whopping 22 bags:
If you thought the original Mario Kart set was a big boy, Luigi & Mach 8 (72050) takes things up a notch. While it’s $10 more than last year’s outing, it’s significantly larger — 1” (3cm) taller, over 1” (4cm) wider, and 3” (9cm) longer. It also has 262 extra parts, making it a reasonable 8.5 cents per element.
You start by building the chassis, and then the second bag immediately goes full Technic to construct the front axle. It’s no passive build — you need to stay fully alert, since the instructions can be confusing. Still, with under 10% of the bags opened, you already learn the scale of the build after two bags: the Mach 8 is a beast.
It quickly becomes clear just how big, and technical, the Mach 8 is.
Matt Gardner
By bag three, you’re already building the steering pinion, juggling multiple large sections that you’ll need a decent-sized table to work with. It’s at this point that you learn the build is asymmetric; underneath the bodywork, the back-left wheel is stacked with pieces to drive the Mach 8’s flaming rear.
From here, it’s your classic mirror process. Bags five through 10 see you create complementary side sills, front wheel arches, front end, and hood — complete with the big L — as well as the last of the back-end mechanical pieces to complete the wheel-powered exhaust. Perhaps the most rewarding part of constructing the Mach 8 is the rear sides and shark fin, which sit behind Luigi; it’s a tricky shape to get right, but it’s designed to perfection.
By the time you get to bag 14, you’re putting on the finishing touches, notably the rear booster, complete with Guy Fieri-inspired flames, and the wheels and tires, which may be the weakest part of the build for two reasons.
The shark fin and booster detaials are inspired, but the wheels buckle under the weight of the vehicle body.
Matt Gardner
Firstly, getting the tires onto the rims is a real piece of work, and once they’re attached, they feel very flimsy because of their simple connection to the axles, causing the wheels to bend inward under the weight of the body. I know this isn’t really meant to be played with in the classic LEGO sense, but you don’t feel hugely comfortable when you’re enjoying its moving flames and functioning steering wheel.
The last thing in the Mach 8 build is the stand, which is nearly identical to the Mario Kart plinth, save for two simple changes: it sits one plate higher, and its movement is slightly more restricted due to the addition of four ring-shaped pieces. It makes a lot of sense because if you built the Mario & Standard Kart set when it was released, its stand will likely have lost a lot of its stiffness, especially with its more demanding center of gravity. The fact that the Mach 8 is longer also means it needs a more restrictive pitch.
The stand has been very lightly changed, but it's a massive improvement on the original.
Matt Gardner
As a thinner, taller alternative build to Mario, Luigi is still a dense fella. The first two bags make up his torso, followed by a surprisingly quick packet to complete his legs.
The arms are probably the dullest part of this set, though I had a personal “thrill” after finding out, for the first time ever, that I was a brick short: a standard green 1x1 piece. Of course, it was entirely my fault: the instructions are once again confusing, compounded by the boredom of this section. Make sure you triple-check the required bricks box at each stage here, as I was caught out a few times.
I’m astonished at just how well LEGO captured Luigi’s head, especially after doing such a bang-up job of Mario’s bonce. It uses the same construction approach as most of LEGO’s helmet creations, attaching sides to a solid cube at the center, while the hat peak comes courtesy of some clever Technic work.
Luigi’s comparatively light head also means it’s less stress on the single clip, meaning it won’t be as liable to lean sideways over time, like Mario’s.
When you put the builds side by side, you realize just how much more polished the Mach 8 is. That’s not to slight the Mario & Standard Kart set; some of its sections, like the front column, simply sacrificed more secure building approaches to ensure it looked the part. Still, every time I moved Mario, I found bits coming off in my hands — no such problem with the Mach 8, which is solid as a rock.
Luigi is a bigger, brighter, and frankly better build.
Matt Gardner
LEGO’s Luigi & Mach 8 (72050) is another must-buy for fans. Overlooking those smaller issues — the wobbly tires, the occasionally confusing instructions, and the slightly tedious final stretch — it’s a showstopping addition to any shelf.
Now, LEGO, before I go: for next MAR10 Day, how about Yoshi to complete the set? You know for a fact it’ll sell — I’d argue that more people like Yoshi than these two combined — but it would be the natural next step, even above Toad or Donkey Kong.
So long as Yoshi’s not riding a bike. Admittedly, I don’t think that’d be possible in a LEGO Mario Kart-themed set of this scale, especially as it’d be a feat of engineering to make it stay upright, even with a stand. Besides, there are plenty of iconic vehicles left, especially the Pipe Frame, though I wouldn’t say no to a Steel Driver. If ATVs are on the table, there’d be nothing more incredible than the Wild Wiggler…
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