The mario kart wii community is still very active. The retro rewind mod on dolphin makes playing online super easy, and adds tons of new tracks. Totally worth checking out.
Phob gcc. The best stick box ever constructed with Hal effect sensors. Genius button layout with a larger primary button surrounded by secondaries. Swap to spicy sticks and bald buttons for added grip and fluidity. Add mouse click z and paracord cable for the perfect, best feeling, most responsive controller. The best part is that it is all open source and can be built for around $50 worth of parts