What is the final cup in the base game of Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)?

The final cup in the base game of Mario Kart 8 for Wii U is the Lightning Cup.

Mario Kart 8's original Grand Prix structure contains eight cups: four new Nitro Cups and four retro cups. The Lightning Cup is the eighth and last of those base-game cups, following the Shell, Banana, and Leaf Cups in the retro lineup. Its courses are Wii Moo Moo Meadows, GBA Mario Circuit, DS Cheep Cheep Beach, and N64 Rainbow Road.

A common mix-up comes from the Special Cup, which is the final Nitro Cup and includes some of the game's most dramatic original courses. However, “final cup” means the last cup in the complete base-game sequence, making Lightning Cup the canonical answer.

Mario Kart 8 later received downloadable cups, including the Egg, Triforce, Crossing, and Bell Cups. Those expansions come after the original eight, so they do not change the answer for the base Wii U game.