This will be the first set of tires I've bought for my s and looking for something under 130 a pop with decent grip and decent longevity. The tired that originally came with the car were nice but just wore out so fast. I'm in socal so no worries about rain.

 

Go on tirerack.com, and look max performance summer tires. Filter out the ones outside your price range. Then read the tests and reviews, and pick one.

 

Did you buy the car new, or buy it used with the original OEM tires still on the car? And how long did the original tires last? How many miles do you expect to get out of your new set?

Without you mentioning anything about the tires the car originally came with on the car, it has me thinking you mean the OEM tires, which if not replaced previously should be getting to the point where they are going bad based on age alone. Especially if you don't have a rare 09 model.
--So if five years+ isn't enough, I'm really not sure which tire to recommend.

But, if the OEM tires were switched out for new OEM tires (or any other ones for that matter), and only lasted 8,000 miles, I'd be willing to bet the Michelin Pilot Super Sport would last longer than that..even extreme performance tires last most people well over here more than 8,000 miles. The Pilot Super Sport tires should last 15,000-20,000 miles, and provide good summer grip as well, unlike all season tires which might last you 20,000+ miles depending on how you drive. Even UHP all season tires will generally not make it to 30,000 miles in the rear, unless you do very little in the way of any kind of spirited driving.

Tires I'd recommend off the top of my head:

Bridgestone Potenza S-04 (Reasonably priced especially w/rebate, might last the longest)
Michelin Pilot Super Sport (Over budget wait for Michelin rebate, great performance though)
Continental DW (Likely under budget with a rebate, may not last as long as the Potenza S-04)