Everything you need to know about vehicles, their appearances, and the role terrain specialization plays in Mario Kart World!
Table of contents
How Vehicles Work in Mario Kart World
Just like drivers, each of the 40 vehicles in Mario Kart World belongs to a weight class, though there are only 7 weight classes instead of 8.
Unlike drivers, you unlock additional vehicles exclusively by earning coins. Each time you earn another 100 coins, you unlock a random new vehicle. The color scheme, if there is one, is determined by the driver you have chosen.
Speaking of customization, those variable color schemes are the only thing that change nowadays. Mario Kart has returned to its roots. You can’t customize the chassis, wheels, or glider (wings) anymore.
You still have just as much control over your stats if you want to min-max; you just can’t construct your own abomination of mismatched parts anymore. No more monster trucks with tiny wheels and a paper kite to carry them through the air.
More broadly, vehicle type doesn’t have much to do with overall performance anymore and doesn’t offer any unique capabilities. Instead, the racetrack surface can have a strong effect on the vehicles Speed and Handling.
Roughly 25% of the vehicles perform equally well regardless of surface type, while the remaining 75% perform significantly better on one of the following:
- Smooth Surfaces
- Rough Racetracks
- Water (skis deployed)
Specialized vehicles are better than unspecialized vehicles on their preferred road type, but worse on the other two. Smooth surfaces are the most common by far, followed by rough racetracks and, distantly, water.
Since Grand Prixes and Knockout Tours take place across multiple courses, an unspecialized or surface-specialized vehicle will usually offer the best performance, though rough and water-specialized vehicles will do a lot better in Time Trials on select courses.
Check out our Mario Kart World Stats Guide for more information.
| Vehicle | Specialization | Weight Class | Vehicle Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Standard Bike | None | Light I | Bike |
 | Tune Thumper | None | Light I | Bike |
 | Cute Scoot | None | Light I | Bike |
 | Pipe Frame | None | Light II | Kart |
 | Loco Moto | None | Light II | Bike |
 | Standard Kart | None | Medium I | Kart |
 | Plushbuggy | None | Medium I | Kart |
 | Blastronaut III | None | Medium II | 3-Wheeler |
 | W-Twin Chopper | None | Medium I | Bike |
 | Reel Racer | None | Medium II | Kart |
 | Junkyard Hog | None | Medium III | 3-Wheeler |
 | Dread Sled | Partial Rough Roads | Medium II | Sled |
 | Stellar Sled | Partial Water | Heavy I | Sled |
 | Mach Rocket | Smooth Surfaces | Light I | Bike |
 | R.O.B. H.O.G. | Smooth Surfaces | Light I | Bike |
 | Baby Blooper | Smooth Surfaces | Light II | Kart |
 | Roadster Royale | Smooth Surfaces | Medium II | Kart |
 | B-Dasher | Smooth Surfaces | Medium II | Kart |
 | Hot Rod | Smooth Surfaces | Medium II | Kart |
 | Bumble V | Smooth Surfaces | Medium II | Kart |
 | Billdozer | Smooth Surfaces | Heavy I | Kart |
 | Big Horn | Smooth Surfaces | Heavy I | Truck |
 | Rallygator | Smooth Surfaces | Heavy II | 3-Wheeler |
 | Rally Bike | Rough Roads | Light I | Bike |
 | Hyper Pipe | Rough Roads | Light I | Bike |
 | Biddybuggy | Rough Roads | Light II | Kart |
 | Rally Kart | Rough Roads | Medium II | Kart |
 | Zoom Buggy | Rough Roads | Medium II | Kart |
 | Bowser Bruiser | Rough Roads | Heavy I | Truck |
 | Li’l Dumpy | Rough Roads | Heavy I | Truck |
 | Chargin’ Truck | Rough Roads | Heavy I | Truck |
 | Tiny Titan | Rough Roads | Heavy I | Truck |
 | Dolphin Dasher | Water | Light I | Bike |
 | Fin Twin | Water | Light I | Bike |
 | Cloud 9 | Water | Medium II | Kart |
 | Ribbit Revster | Water | Medium II | Kart |
 | Carpet Flyer | Water | Medium II | Kart |
 | Funky Dorrie | Water | Medium III | 3-Wheeler |
 | Mecha Trike | Water | Heavy I | 3-Wheeler |
 | Lobster Roller | Water | Heavy II | 3-Wheeler |
Unspecialized Vehicles
Unspecialized Vehicles perform equally well regardless of racetrack surface. They’re less useful in Time Trials compared to vehicles specialized for smooth or rough surfaces, but they’re usually the best choice for more varied environments like a Grand Prix or Knockout Tour, especially if you’re shooting for triple stars.
Standard Bike
The Standard Bike belongs to the Light I weight class and has no terrain specialization. Most characters have a unique color scheme that matches their attire. but creature color matching with Standard Bike is less precise.
Tune Thumper
The Tune Thumper is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Cute Scoot
The Cute Scoot is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class that has no terrain specialization. It comes in 1 of 8 different color schemes determined by the best visual match for the driver.
Pipe Frame
The Pipe Frame is a kart belonging to the Light II weight class that has no terrain specialization. The frame changes color to match the driver’s primary color.
Loco Moto
The Loco Moto is a train bike belonging to the Light II weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Standard Kart
The Standard Kart belongs to the Medium I weight class and has no terrain specialization. Most characters have a unique color scheme that matches their attire. but creature color matching with Standard Kart is less precise.
Plushbuggy
The Plushbuggy is a kart belonging to the Medium I weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Blastronaut III
The Blastronaut III is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Medium II weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations. Its deployed wings are built into the vehicle, so they look more sleek and functional than the rest.
W-Twin Chopper
The W-Twin Chopper is a bike that belongs to the Medium I weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Reel Racer
The Reel Racer is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Junkyard Hog
The Junkyard Hog is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Medium III weight class that has no terrain specialization or color variations.
Smooth Surface Vehicles
These vehicles have vastly superior Speed and Handling while driving across smooth surfaces in exchange for being significantly weaker in those departments on rough racetracks and in water.
Since most races take place on smooth surfaces, these vehicles can give you a significant advantage on many racetracks and can even be worth using over an unspecialized vehicle for a particular Grand Prix or Knockout Tour. Check out our MKW Stats guide for more info.
Mach Rocket
The Mach Rocket is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It comes in 1 of 4 different color schemes determined by the best visual match for the driver.
R.O.B. H.O.G.
The R.O.B. H.O.G. is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It comes in 1 of 2 different color schemes determined by the best visual match for the driver.
Baby Blooper
The Baby Blooper is a kart belonging to the Light II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Roadster Royale
The Roadster Royale is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It comes in 1 of 3 different color schemes that each match one of the main damsels of the Mushroom Kingdom. Everyone else just gets the closest match, and Peach and Pauline have to share.
B-Dasher
The B Dasher is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Hot Rod
The Hot Rod is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Bumble V
The Bumble V is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Billdozer
The Billdozer is a kart belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Big Horn
The Big Horn is a truck belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is, somehow, specialized for driving on smooth surfaces despite looking like a tractor. It has no color variations.
Rallygator
The Rallygator is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Heavy II weight class and is specialized for driving on smooth surfaces. It has no color variations.
Rough Surface Vehicles
These vehicles have vastly superior Speed and Handling while driving across rough racetracks (not off-road) in exchange for being significantly weaker in those departments on smooth surfaces and in water.
While some races take place on unpaved road, the majority of racetracks have smooth, paved surfaces. Check out our MKW Stats Guide for more information on the best places to use a vehicle specialized for rough surfaces.
Rally Bike
The Rally Bike belongs to the Light I weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Hyper Pipe
The Hyper Pipe is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Biddybuggy
The Biddybuggy is a kart belonging to the Light II weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It comes in 1 of 4 different color schemes determined by the best visual match for the driver.
Rally Kart
The Rally Kart belongs to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Zoom Buggy
The Zoom Buggy is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Bowser Bruiser
The Bowser Bruiser is a truck belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Li’l Dumpy
The Li’l Dumpy is a truck belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations and its name is a reference to what you look like in the morning.
Chargin’ Truck
The Chargin’ Truck is a truck belonging to Chargin’ Chuck and the Heavy I weight class It is specialized for driving on rough surfaces and has no color variations.
Tiny Titan
The Tiny Titain is a truck belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is specialized for driving on rough surfaces. It has no color variations.
Water Vehicles
These vehicles have vastly superior Speed and Handling while jetting across water in exchange for being significantly weaker in those departments on land.
Since water is relatively uncommon, these vehicles are arguably the worst in the game. They may only be worth seriously considering for Salty Salty Spedway, Cheep Cheep Falls, Wario Shipyard, or Starview Peak.
If these vehicles also benefitted from improved Speed and Handling in the air, they might be a bit more competitive, at least with vehicles specialized for rough surfaces.
Dolphin Dasher
The Dolphin Dasher is a dolphin surveilance robot bike belonging to the Light I weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Fin Twin
The Fin Twin is a bike belonging to the Light I weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Cloud 9
The Cloud 9 is a kart belonging to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Ribbit Revster
The Ribbit Revster is a kart belonging to the Light II weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Carpet Flyer
The Carpet Flyer is a kart belonging to the Light II weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Funky Dorrie
The Funky Dorrie is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Medium III weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It comes in 1 of 5 different color schemes determined by the best visual match for the driver.
Mecha Trike
The Mecha Trike is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Heavy I weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Lobster Roller
The Lobster Roller is a 3-wheeler belonging to the Heavy II weight class and is specialized for jetting across water. It has no color variations.
Sleds
Sleds feature unique partial terrain specializations that are as good as specialized vehicles for a single type of surface and competitive with versatile vehicles in another type of surface.
Compared to other members of their weight class, they give up some other stats, particularly Speed and Handling for the third type of surface.
Dred Sled
The Dred Sled belongs to the Medium II weight class and is specialized for rough surfaces (major) and water (versatile). It has no color variations.
Stellar Sled
The Stellar Sled belongs to the Heavy I weight class and is is specialized for water (major) and rough surfaces (versatile). It has no color variations.
