Out of Office is a new GeekWire series spotlighting the passions and hobbies that members of the Seattle-area tech community pursue outside of work. Peter Lee, head of Microsoft Research, is a prime example, passionately converting classic cars to electric vehicles.
When Lee first started his research project to convert his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder to electric, he utilized the AI model Davinci-003 (OpenAI’s early Chat GPT-4) for engineering assistance. Initially, the AI questioned the decision, prompting Lee to respond, “Why on earth would you want to ruin a beautiful classic car like that?”
Now, in the midst of converting a 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, Lee regularly encounters fellow car enthusiasts expressing concern about his hobby. “Half the people I’ve told about this project think it’s the coolest thing, and the other half think it’s totally evil,” he noted. “One guy actually told me I’m never going to heaven.”
Lee, who joined Microsoft in 2010 and previously spent 22 years at Carnegie Mellon University, was recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in health and life sciences in 2024. His lifelong love for cars began with karting and Formula Ford, and he even held a license as an auto body technician.
Frustrated with fuel system issues in his Porsche in 2020, Lee connected with Marc Davis, founder of Moment Motor Co. in Austin, Texas, a company specializing in transforming vintage cars into modern electric vehicles. Moment’s dedication is to “preserve the art and beauty” of classic cars like those owned by Lee.
Some classic car enthusiasts criticize EV conversions, arguing they disrupt the original design intent and involve excessive costs. Davis states that Moment’s work frequently generates “vomit emojis” from purists on the company’s social media.
“I personally believe what we’re doing is preservation,” Lee explained, highlighting projects that breathe new life into cherished vehicles. The cost of a conversion can range from $50,000 to $150,000, depending on the car’s condition, size, and performance requirements.
Lee is drawn to the benefits of electric vehicles – eliminating gas and oil concerns, modern components, and powerful torque. In the Pacific Northwest, his Porsche is garaged during the winter at a 50% charge. He anticipates powering up on the first pleasant spring day, stating, “I’ll just check the air in the tires, turn it on, and it’ll just go. And it’ll go fast. It’s really a wonderful, wonderful thing,” adding that the Porsche, a replica of the car in which Hollywood icon James Dean died, can reach speeds that are “a little scary.”
Lee is actively involved in the Mustang’s transformation, considering details like the shift knob and the rear axle. “I put thought into this, especially when I was driving the car to get to know it,” he said. “I ended up thinking that the car wouldn’t be a Mustang anymore if we got rid of the live rear axle, and it turned out that Marc’s design choice was exactly the same.” The finished Mustang will be a unique build, garnering attention at car shows.
Lee is considering a third vehicle for conversion, joking about his wife’s potential disapproval. The most rewarding aspect of this pursuit is the technical and design challenges. In the case of the Porsche conversion, he grapples with preserving the car’s identity as a Mustang. “The thing I’ve always loved about cars, and why I love to work on cars, is you actually finish something,” he said. “That never happens in software. Software’s never done. You might ship it, but you’re still working on it forever.”
Lee believes there’s significant business potential in converting classic cars to EVs and sees opportunities to collaborate with companies doing this work. He notes that the combination of classic aesthetics with modern EV technology is a growing trend.
Lee’s experience translates to his work at Microsoft Research. He sees parallels between car technology and auto racing and believes advancements in both fields can inform the design of action models—AI systems that predict and determine the best course of action for an agent. He believes that developments in car software could influence the architecture of action models and training paradigms, with implications for software development. “It wouldn’t surprise me if five years from now the ’68 Mustang conversion has more intelligence, more self-drive, more action model, more robotic capabilities,” Lee said. “I think you’ll see those things pop up even in your plain old Windows desktop over time.”