Joining the Koopalings and the regular crew come a few stalwarts.
Shy Guy, Metal Mario, and Lakitu are three new racers coming to Mario Kart 8, as revealed to us in a recent demo. That makes Mario Kart 8's roster up to 27 characters.
Shy Guy first appeared in Mario Kart DS as a playable racer by DS Download Play users only and later appeared in Mario Kart 7 as an unlockable racer. The creatures also showed up as hazards in a variety of races, including Mario Kart Wii's DK Summit and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'s Sherbet Land.
Metal Mario has only appeared in Mario Kart 7 as an unlockable racer.
Lakitu has traditionally given the countdown before each race (and still does). Mario Kart 8 is the second time he has been a racer following Mario Kart 7.
With three more characters from Mario Kart 7 joining the roster, that leaves Wiggler, Honey Queen, and Mii as the only racers not confirmed for Mario Kart 8. There's no word regarding what the final roster count will be.