The game featured an array of real-world circuits beyond Le Mans itself, including the Bugatti Circuit, Brno Circuit, Suzuka Circuit, Donington Park, and Circuit de Catalunya, with Road Atlanta exclusive to the PlayStation 2 version. A dynamic weather and night system was a notable feature, simulating the atmospheric challenges that define real endurance racing.
The Dreamcast version was ported and published by Sega in Japan on 15 March 2001, while the PlayStation 2 version followed on 13 June 2001. On PC the game was marketed under the title Test Drive Le Mans, tying it to the Test Drive series, a branding decision that would prove controversial.
Critical response varied significantly by platform. The Dreamcast version earned widespread praise, receiving "universal acclaim" according to Metacritic. Reviewers highlighted its immersive sense of marathon racing: NextGen wrote in January 2001 that it was "no hardcore sim, but may be the best reproduction of the actual feel of marathon racing ever." X-Play awarded the Dreamcast version a perfect five stars, calling it "the best racing game on the platform," and GameSpot named it "Best Driving Game" at its Best and Worst of 2000 Awards.
The PlayStation 2 version garnered "generally favourable reviews." GameFan's Robert Howarth praised the PC version for "above-average graphics, great controls and good artificial intelligence," awarding it 85%. However, mixed opinions were common — one critic noted that poor visuals and sound undermined the solid controls, while another found the game stable and authentic but lacking in physics and multiplayer compared to competitors.
The PlayStation version drew more lukewarm comparisons to the Test Drive series, with GamePro suggesting it was playable for hardcore racing fans who had exhausted Gran Turismo and Need for Speed, but offered nothing superior to the Test Drive catalogue.
The Dreamcast edition was also nominated for "Best Game No One Played" at GameSpot's awards — a nod to how the Test Drive name may have deterred players who assumed it was another entry in a series associated with mediocre output.
The game's association with the Test Drive brand created an identity tension: its most acclaimed version, on Dreamcast, was widely regarded as one of that console's finest racing titles, yet was overlooked by many due to preconceptions attached to the Test Drive label. The PlayStation 2 version lost the "Best Console Driving Game" nomination at the 2001 Blister Awards to Grand Theft Auto III. Despite uneven reception across platforms, the game represented a credible attempt to capture the unique atmosphere of 24-hour endurance racing — particularly the passage from day to night and back — for a home audience.