>>3736418>>3736427>>3736432Top one is the D700, 100% crop, and the bottom one the D4 downsampled to 12MP and cropped to 100% equivalent. Both used the same lens, same ISO parameters and same lightning conditions (no clouds high noon).
I keep reading from some owners that both have the same tasteful rendering but this test really does make me wonder, like you well said the key differences are colour, contrast and noise, all at odds.
Top one looks like a sensor trying to emulate film, bottom one seems like one trying to be accurate.