Front wheel needs another 3-5mm honestly... the 8.5" width on 35mm offset will put the inner lip of the wheel rather close to the dreaded suspension nut, even with 225/40 rubber. That wheel fitment is out of the question with 235/40 rubber, as the problem will only be exaggerated.

Rears are fine, and you're exactly right on the thoughts of running a spacer for perfect offset.

I'm running 225/40/18 tires on an 8.5" rim, and aside from a very slight stretch effect, no issues. Actually the handling was improved slightly because it stiffened the sidewall, your results may vary. Also remember that certain tire brands run wider than the same size in another brand... Nitto comes to mind as being slightly wider. Continentals, on the other hand, run narrow (~5mm) for their indicated size.

Which model VM wheel? Link wouldn't open at work for some reason...

Cheers,