> Daimler (parent of Mercedes) reportedly rented Model X and disassembled it to learn how it works.

> Apparently there are plenty of companies interested in how Tesla's cars are made.

Disassembing a rental car is ..uh.. rude, but other than that this is completely ordinary, and not even done in secret.

When I worked at BMW, we once went down to a big room where an entire VW (Golf?) was disassembled and on display, all its components laid out on long rows of tables.

I can't remember any access restrictions on that room -- it was just a place you went to look at how other engineers had solved particular problems, learn new tricks, or get inspired.

It's essentially the code reading of the mechanical engineering world.

Disassembling competitor cars is a standard practice and every car maker does it to all their most important competitors. Tesla is not special in this regard.