Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has become one of the best kart racing games of all time, and this eighth entry in the series has been around in some form for a decade. The game offers a huge selection of customization options for players to choose from to get the fastest runs possible on each track. Racers, karts, tires, and gliders can all be mixed and matched, and each changes the stats that will be used in the race itself.

In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it is important to pay attention to how the stats of speed, acceleration, weight, handling, and traction all work together. Getting the speediest setup depends on each portion, not simply the kart alone. This includes the character choice, as the heavy characters can weigh down karts, providing a slow acceleration, but ultimately, they also have the highest top speed when unimpeded. Thus, when looking for the best Mario Kart 8 setups, heavy characters are preferred. In addition, while there are no gliders that increase speed, there are some to be aware of that reduce it.

18 King Boo, Landship, Slick Tires & Super Glider

Total Of 4.5 Max Speed Possible

Despite being a ghost, King Boo is among the heavy characters in Mario Kart 8, which helps to give him better speeds than one would expect from a ghost. When driving Bowser's themed Landship kart in this combination, King Boo can reach top speeds of 4.5 while not sacrificing much in acceleration or traction. This makes him a relatively good option for players who want to reach those higher speeds but may not have quite as advanced skills to take on the heaviest of karts.

Many of King Boo's statistics in this build are treading the middle of the bar, with acceleration at 3, handling at 3.25, and traction at 3.25. Without any major drops, but still offering a higher speed, it is a safe bet for most average players to do well with.

17 Donkey Kong, B Dasher Kart, Triforce Tires & Super Glider

Total Of 5.25 Max Speed Possible

Donkey Kong has the second-highest base speed of all characters, as long as the player is adept at not hitting any obstacles. As one of the heavy class characters, he has a very slow acceleration stat, but then can reach exceptionally high speeds once he gets moving.

Combining the B Dasher kart, the Triforce tires, and the Super Glider, his stats all balance out to create a fast kart that isn't horrible with handling, mostly thanks to the Triforce tires, which can help some with grip. Though it can seem more boring, the default glider is preferred so that the kart's speed will not suffer from the penalties other gliders have.

16 Wario, Prancer Kart, Slick Tires & Waddle Wing Glider

Total Of 5.5 Max Speed Possible

Wario may object to being put in the silly-looking Prancer kart with its bobbing horse heads on the front, but this is a pretty decent little vehicle for racing. When combined with Wario's weight of Heavy, the combination leads to a max speed of 5.5, with 4.25 total weight. As usual for these builds, players will want to do their best to avoid hitting obstacles with the acceleration set at only 1.75, and the traction won't help much, with it also being 1.75.

The Waddle Wing glider is not just for adding to Wario's annoyance through its looks, but its weight helps to add to the overall grip of the vehicle, giving players a little more stability while not sacrificing speed or acceleration.

15 Roy, Standard ATV, Metal Tires & Plane Glider

Total Of 5.5 Max Speed Possible

In the same category as Donkey Kong, Roy is another heavy-class character who is tied for having the second-highest possible base speed. When given the best opportunity with the perfect kit, he can be very fast. Both the Standard ATV and Metal tires provide him with extra speed but come at the cost of acceleration and handling. Lastly, the Plane Glider slightly increases his traction at the cost of a small increase in his weight. This is an overall fast build, reaching 5.5 max speed, making it one of the best Mario Kart 8 setups.

Many items have identical stats, such as the Metal tires and Gold tires for example. If you don't have a specific item, check to see what else might work.

14 Baby Daisy, Biddybuggy, Roller, Cloud Glider

Total Of 1 Max Speed Possible

Baby Daisy's combination here may appear a bit unorthodox for high speeds, yet this build can be extremely effective under the right circumstances. While it only has a max speed of 1, it does offer a 5.5 in acceleration. For players who struggle with avoiding obstacles or for any non-professional Mario Kart racer on a higher cc course, this kart is the answer.

Her 5.5 in acceleration allows for quick recovery from mistakes, and on some of the racetracks, a high speed may prove to be a detriment. In the right situation, with the right player behind the controls, Baby Daisy can easily take the trophy home.

13 Wiggler, Wild Wiggler Kart, Slick Tires, & Waddle Wing Glider

Total Of 4.75 Max Speed Possible

Introduced as part of Booster Course Wave 5 for the game, Wiggler certainly can make a statement when seen driving around on the thematically-appropriate Wild Wiggler kart. This happy sight can be a menace on the track, with a relatively high top speed of 4.75 combined with better handling and traction than many of the others. If it does have to slow down, it can speed up again pretty quickly with an acceleration of 2.75.

But most of all, Wiggler with the Wild Wiggler Kart and Waddle Wing Glider is just cheerful and puts a smile on faces, as it zooms past everyone.

12 Link, Master Cycle Kart, Slick Tires & Hylian Kite

Total Of 5 Max Speed Possible

Another thematic combination is putting Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on a Master Cycle Kart, complete with the Hylian Kite glider. Unfortunately, the thematically appropriate tires would throw off the stats some, but using the Slick Tires can give some good speeds. Using this combo, Link can reach a max speed of 5, with handling of 3 to help him stay on track.

Surprisingly, considering that it is a motorcycle build, Link also has a relatively high invincibility stat of 4 and a mini-turbo of 3 while using these pieces together. To get a little extra top speed, Link could use the less-cool-looking B-Dasher Kart to get speeds up to 5.25, but this also reduces the acceleration amount, balancing it out somewhat.

11 Wario, Circuit Special Kart, Metal Tires & Wario Wing

Total Of 5.75 Max Speed Possible

As a character, Wario has the highest possible character speed in the game. This makes him a go-to for speed-focused kart configurations, and adding the Circuit Special Kart and the Metal tires adds an extra 1.0 speed at the cost of acceleration, handling, and traction. While this kart is certainly not for beginners, in the right hands it can become a powerhouse of speed. Finish the build with his iconic Wario Wing to reach 5.75 max speed, making this one of the fastest builds in the game.

Great speed comes with great risk, as racers will have to contend with some less-than-optimal kart handling when using this Wario build, as well as several others in this list.

10 Bowser, P-Wing Kart, Metal Tires & Hylian Kite

Total Of 5.75 Max Speed Possible

Bowser is known throughout all Mario lore for being a massive entity and, therefore, it is fitting that he is the heaviest character in Mario Kart 8. Being the heaviest also means he is among the fastest, however, as long as drivers can control his poor handling and traction. Combining Bowser's default 4.75 base speed with the P-Wing kart and Metal tires brings him to the speed cap of the game, which is 5.75. Adding the Hylian Kite ensures that Bowser isn't losing any speed for the glider while also not gaining any extra weight, which could make this build impossible to control, as it will already require a steady hand to manage this kart effectively at top speed.

9 Morton, P-Wing Kart, Cyber Slick Tires & Waddle Wing

Total Of 5.75 Max Speed Possible

Another character in the category of heaviest, and therefore fastest, in Mario Kart 8 is Morton. Although the P-Wing kart significantly reduces Morton's other stats, the maximum speed increase is too good to ignore. Combining Morton and the kart with Cyber Slick tires, Morton reaches Mario Kart 8's speed cap of 5.75, while the Waddle Wing glider ensures that he doesn't lose speed or get weighed down. Given how little he's seen in standard Mario games, Morton is an oft-overlooked driver but should be considered more often for his beneficial stats that will sneak up on unsuspecting opponents.