Gold Standard

The Gold Standard (known as the Gold Kart in Europe and Australia) is an unlockable kart part in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8.

Mario Kart 7
In Mario Kart 7, the Gold Standard can be unlocked by collecting 20000 coins, or by earning 10000 VR in Wi-Fi races. The Gold Standard gives a good boost for speed and weight, but hinders the acceleration and off-road stats. In a way, the Gold Standard is the polar opposite of the Pipe Frame kart body, in terms of which stats are boosted and hindered, but its hidden stats are affected differently.

When the Gold Standard body is combined with the Gold Tires and Gold Glider, they complete the whole Gold Standard. This kart gives great speed (the 2nd biggest boost in the game) and good weight, but has a negative handling boost, and abysmal off-road (the worst in the game).

Mario Kart 8
The Gold Standard returns in Mario Kart 8. It has received a small detail change: instead of the character's insignia, the Gold Standard's logo is an embossed 8 with a wreath of olive leaves around it. It and the GLA are the only kart bodies that don't display the characters' insignias anywhere. It is unlocked by getting a star rank on every GP cup for every engine class.

The Gold Standard offers a strong boost in speed and a slight boost in weight, but slightly hinders acceleration and highly hinders traction. Its stats are the same as those of the Mach 8, Circuit Special, Sports Coupe, and B Dasher vehicle bodies.

CPU's will never use this body like the Gold Tires and the Gold Glider, thus being player-exclusive.

Mario Kart 7

 * Speed: +0.25
 * Sea Speed: 0
 * Air Speed: -0.25
 * Acceleration: -0.25
 * Weight: +0.25
 * Handling: 0
 * Sea Handling: 0
 * Air Handling: 0
 * Off-Road: -0.25
 * Mini-Turbo: -0.25
 * Stability: 0
 * Drift: -0.25

Whole Gold Standard

 * Speed: +1.25
 * Sea Speed: -1
 * Air Speed: -0.25
 * Acceleration: -0.75
 * Weight: +0.75
 * Handling: -1.25
 * Sea Handling: 0
 * Air Handling: -1
 * Off-Road: -2.75
 * Mini-Turbo: -0.25
 * Stability: 0
 * Drift: -1.25

Mario Kart 8

 * Ground Speed: +0.5
 * Water Speed: +0.25
 * Air Speed: +0.5
 * Anti-Gravity Speed: +0.25
 * Acceleration: -0.25
 * Weight: +0.25
 * Ground Handling: 0
 * Water Handling: 0
 * Air Handling: 0
 * Anti-Gravity Handling: -0.25
 * Traction: -1
 * Mini-Turbo: -0.5

Whole Gold Standard

 * Ground Speed: +0.75
 * Water Speed: 0
 * Air Speed: +0.75
 * Anti-Gravity Speed: +0.5
 * Acceleration: -0.75
 * Weight: +0.75
 * Ground Handling: 0
 * Water Handling: 0
 * Air Handling: 0
 * Anti-Gravity Handling: -0.25
 * Traction: -1.5
 * Mini-Turbo: -0.5

Trivia

 * The Gold Standard's steering wheel is gold in Mario Kart 7, but in first person view, it will remain black, unless the player has earned the Golden Steering Wheel by doing 100 races with at least 80 using gyro.