At 2.58m (8ft 5in) tall, Ukrainian born Leonid Stadnyk, the world’s tallest man, will find it tough getting behind the wheel of almost any vehicle. That’s why the Ukrainian government, at the request of its President Viktor Yushchenko, has delivered to Stadnyk a custom Chevrolet minivan capable of accommodating his extraordinary size.

A lack of suitable vehicles meant Stadnyk was never able to apply for a driver’s license but after years of walking the 37-year old giant decided to finally write to President Yushchenko to help find a car. Yushchenko then enlisted a team of engineers from the country’s ZAZ factory in Zaporizhia to help put together the custom vehicle.

“For now someone will have to drive me,” Stadnyk told the BBC. “But I will resolve the question of a driver’s license soon.”

Stadnyk has suffered from an unusual growth disorder since the age of 14 after an operation on his brain supposedly stimulated his pituitary gland. Stadnyk stands an additional 22cm (8in) over the previous record-holder, China’s Bao Xishun, who measures in at 2.36m (7ft 9in).