Thank you very much for your explanation!

My understanding of the concepts for Asset and CI was a bit different, I admit.

If this really is what the architects at ServiceNow built, it would create a considerable amount of manual work for the use cases I mentioned - even more striking for server CIs:

Example: Hardware re-use of a 4-node cluster of servers, each costing above 20000 US$, after a project is called off.  Renaming them is not enough. They have maintenance windows configured, are related to service models, have configured support groups and change groups, and are referred to by change requests that were planned for months ahead in time. 

All this would have to be removed if the same CI should become another server for another purpose operated by another team (and not to be included in the change next month).

I would rather create a new asset, and "hide" the old asset from discovery by removing or altering serial number, MAC addresses and name of the old CI.

When a server receives a hardware replacement, on the other hand, Discovery will automatically create a new CI after it takes its role. As you described. But then, all the relations and references must be copied from the old CI - this is why I asked if I cannot improve the process.
Not that easy, is your answer... and thanks again for the detailed descriptions.

BR Helfried