Shelby American has a small surprise in store for the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, but unfortunately, the cat is already out of the bag thanks to a setup worker at the show. Images posted to a fan forum reveal the car--though only in a blurry, low-res way.

We'll still be looking forward to the official photos and live shots from our team at the show, though we'll have to wait until Thursday morning for the official unveiling.

The GT350 marks the first time Shelby American has revealed a car on its own stand at a major auto show, and the company is certainly excited about the reception the car will receive.

We're looking forward to the car as well, as the 2011 GT350 was an impressive car in its own right: built on the 5.0-liter V-8 but with the added pizzazz of a supercharger, Ford Racing suspension, Baer racing brakes, and unique aerodynamics kit, and custom graphics, the car delivered lots of go. It also added $33,995 to the price of the donor Mustang GT.

An SCCA-specific racing version was also released, sans supercharger, to conform to series rules. Though that car lacked some of the power of the full Shelby treatment, it too added go-fast, but at a price: $26,995 on top of the donor car.

We'd expect specs and pricing to be pretty close to last year's model, though the addition of the convertible to the routine could result in some new stats.

[The Mustang Source forums]