The 2002 edition marked the first time since 1923 that the full Circuit de la Sarthe — which operates as a public road network for most of the year — was closed for a purpose other than the modern 24 Hours of Le Mans. Participation requires a valid FIA International Competition licence.
The event is structured as a series of races for cars that have competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or are of an identical model to those that did. Cars are divided into classes by era to equalise pace within each race. The Heritage classification organises entries into five groups: 1923–1939 (pre-war), 1949–1956, 1957–1961, 1962–1966, and 1967–1975. The Legend classification covers 1976–1982, 1983–1993 Group C, 1994–2000 GT cars, 2001–2005 prototypes (or 2001–2010 LM GTE), and 2006–2012 prototypes alongside 2011–2020 GTE. Support races for retired GT3 cars and historic NASCAR machinery have also been incorporated, with the event associated with NASCAR Holdings' Historic Sportscar Racing for the latter. Car shows and auctions are hosted on the Bugatti Circuit grounds alongside meetings of various car clubs.
In 2008, six classes competed. A Talbot 105 driven by Gareth Burnett and Julian Bronson won Class 1. Vary Paerson and Nigel Webb took Class 2 in a Jaguar C-Type and Class 3 in a D-Type on total laps; a Saab 93 of Fredrik Tornérhielm, Bo Lindman and Göran Dahlén won Class 3 on adjusted performance. Christian Glasel won Class 4 in a Ford GT40, Olivier Cazalier's Ferrari 512S won Class 5, and Jean-Marc Luco and Jürgen Barth took Class 6 in a Porsche 936.
In 2010, Albert Otten won Class 1 in a BMW 328. Peter Neumark and JS Baxter won Class 2 in a Jaguar D-Type; Willi Balz and Frank Stippler took Class 3 in a Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage. Christian Glasel repeated his Class 4 win in a Ford GT40, Bernard Thuner won Class 5 in a Lola T70 Mk III, and Jean-Marc Luco and Jacques Nicolet won Class 6 again in a Porsche 936.
In 2012, C. Traber and B. Trenery won Class 1 in a Talbot Lago. G. Pickering took Class 2 in a Jaguar D-Type; Wills, Twyman and Pirro won Class 3 in a Lotus 15. L. Voyazides and R. D'Abel De Libran won Class 4 in a Ford GT40, Thuner won Class 5 again in a Lola T70 Mk III, and C. MacAllister won Class 6 in a Gulf Mirage.
In 2014, Michael Birch and Gareth Burnett won Class 1 in a Talbot 105. Gary Pearson and Chris Harris won both Class 2 and Class 3 in a Jaguar D-Type. Hans Hugenholtz won Class 4 in a Ford GT40, David Hart won Class 5 in a Lola T70 Mk III, and MacAllister retained the Class 6 win in a Gulf Mirage.
In 2016, Christian Traber and Spencer Trenery won Class 1 in a Talbot Lago. Andy Wallace won Class 2 in a Jaguar D-Type; Chris Ward-Lister won Class 3 in a Costin. Shaun Lynn won Class 4 in a Ford GT40, Thuner took another Class 5 victory in a Lola T70 Mk III, and Ulrich Schumacher and Marco Werner won Class 6 in a Porsche 936.
In 2018, Birch and Burnett won Class 1 again in a Talbot AV105. Niklas Halusa and Lukas Halusa won Class 2 in a Jaguar D-Type; Andy Wallace took Class 3 in another D-Type. Diogo Ferrao won Class 4 in a Ford GT40, Philippe Scemama won Class 5 also in a Ford GT40, and Stephen Dance won Class 6 in a Ford Capri RS 2600.
The 2023 edition was a record-breaking event, celebrating the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, drawing approximately 235,000 visitors. The next edition was scheduled for 3–6 July 2025.
In 2005, the SERO organisation launched a Japanese counterpart intended to run in alternating years with the French edition. The inaugural event was held at the Mine Circuit; in 2007 it moved to Fuji Speedway as part of the Japan Le Mans Challenge. Drivers and cars are required to meet the same qualification standards as their French counterparts, with entries grouped by era and competition licences mandatory.
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