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The problem is that much of our team believes that what we did last year is the way to go. So the team voted today that, no matter what the game is, we will build a box on wheels.
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I observed one year that a lot of teams had good concepts but poor execution, and ended up with a strictly defensive "boxbot" that was actually pretty effective at what it did. I joked to our lead mentor that we might as well decide in advance to build a simple and robust tank instead of reaching for a more ambitious goal and ending up with a complicated and fragile tank. Everyone who heard it understood both the logic behind the sentiment and the fact that it was a joke.
I believe that when the game is announced, at least some of your more vocal members will try to convince the rest of the team to reconsider the decision. One thing I pointed out when our team was voting on our design directions might apply here: it's a whole lot more fun to go out and at least try to score points than it is to just get in other people's way.
Don't try to change people's minds just by telling them why you think they're wrong. My suggestion is to find a way to get people excited about building a capable robot, and let them realize on their own that the vote to build a box on wheels should be undone. Focus on the inspiration, and the actions should follow.