What sets this Test Drive game apart from the others in the series is its ability to actually deliver an experience that most of us will never be privy to partake in. You see, Le Mans racing is an endurance sport. These racers drive for a full 24 hours in an attempt to complete more laps than anyone else. This experience is reproduced in real-time (or in shortened versions if you like) for those daredevils out there. Luckily, if you simply must get some rest (or to avoid burning up your PlayStation) you can roll into the pit stop and save your game. All of the racing teams, cars, and tracks are officially licensed and faithfully reproduced.

Besides the aforementioned 24 hour races, players can choose to play arcade mode, championship mode, or the two-player mode. The arcade mode will satisfy those gamers out there that like to play games like Ridge Racer. Your car cannot be damaged and you don't have to worry about fuel or tires wearing out. There are six challenge cups that can be raced (more cups are added later) that will take place over a fixed series of tracks. Taking first place will yield a new car to play with. In championship mode you will race a season in one of the three classes (GT2, GT1, or Prototype). Points are assigned according to your finishing position. The racer with the most points at the end of the season will win. The two-player mode allows for split-screen racing with either a three or five race championship. Several options can be turned on or off and the number of computer-controlled racers can vary from four to none. It must be mentioned that the artificial intelligence of the computer racers is some of the best I've seen. They actually swerve to block your attempts to pass and won't think twice about smashing your car into a wall. All it takes is a hit to the right spot on your car and you will begin to slide off the track. It's nice to have the cars react semi-realistically to bumps and nudges, a technique that games like Ridge Racer should implement.

Easily the most impressive element of Test Drive Le Mans is its excellent control. Every single vehicle is a pleasure to drive. The steering is exceptionally spot-on and the controls aren't muddied with unnecessary options. The cars can be customized to your liking as well. The amount of fuel can be changed to make the car heavier or lighter, the tires can be optimized for different weather conditions, aerodynamics can be adjusted to allow for better grip on the road, and the sensitivity of the steering can be fixed to your liking. I found it best to just leave most of the features alone since the cars all drove so well to begin with, but at least there are attributes that can be changed if need be. I had no problems whatsoever with learning how to drive the various vehicles. In this respect, the learning curve is fairly low. I recommend starting the game in arcade mode since the cars won't take damage. This will allow a familiarity with the cars to exist before trying the more difficult racing modes. It will take a considerable amount of playtime to manage to win the championship modes or the 24-hour marathon.

There are two major strikes against Test Drive Le Mans, the sub-par graphics and the annoying commentator. The graphics are satisfactory, but don't meet the standards of other racing games on the PlayStation. There are hints of lens flares, reflections, and even tire marks that are permanently etched in the sand if you happen to stray from the track. Even so, these nice touches don't have the flair of games like Ridge Racer 4 or Gran Turismo 2. The music is above average, but very forgettable. The announcer simply repeats too many of his one-liners. His vocabulary should be increased ten-fold and he should learn to keep quiet.

For those of you looking for a simulation-type racing game, Test Drive Le Mans is sure to deliver an experience you will enjoy. What is surprising is that fans of arcade racing games will also enjoy this game due to its arcade mode and excellent control. Just don't expect to be able to power-slide your way around corners. In the end, this game almost seems as though the name "Test Drive" was slapped on to help it sell better (although I don't know how much goodwill that name provides now-a-days) when in fact, the game can stand on its own. I'm highly impressed with the game and it is sure to provide hours upon hours of entertainment for those who buy it. Good job Infogrames and Eutechnyx.